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Faculty and Staff
 
Name:
 YAO Xin
Education:
 Ph.D
Positions:
  
Academic title:
 Associate Professor
Postal Code:
 666303
Subject categories:
 Botany
Mailing Address:
 XTBG, Menglun, Mengla, 666303, Yunnan, China
E-mail:
 yaoxin@xtbg.ac.cn

Resume:
 

Education: 

2013 – 2017, Ph.D. in botany, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 

2010 – 2013, M.Sc. in agriculture, Yunnan Agricultural University 

2006 – 2010, B.Sc. in agriculture, Jiangxi Agricultural University 

  

Appointments: 

2024 – present, Associate Professor, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences 

2017 – 2024, Assistant Professor, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences 

 

Research interests: 

My research interests focus on understanding the dynamics of species diversity through time and space in tropical and subtropical Asia, using methods in plant systematics, genomics, ecology, and evolution. Currently, I’m mainly working on the following projects: 

(1) Phylogenomics and diversification study of plant lineages in tropical and subtropical Asia 

This region is located on the crossing of several plates, and its geological history and climate environment are very complex. It has a very high diversity of plant species, while its spatiotemporal pattern of plant diversification is still not well-studied. So, we aim to understand the evolutionary history of plants in this region, and what environmental variables change in history and/or functional traits correlate to the species diversification. To achieve these, we choose the common plant lineages in this region, including genus Hoya, Ilex, and so on. 

  

(2) Interpretation of the spatial pattern of species diversity in tropical and subtropical Asia 

The plant diversity in this region is under the threats of rapid urbanization, population growth, and habitat fragmentation. To identify the key biodiversity area (KBA) for better conserving the plant diversity, we need to take into consideration the phylogenetic diversity, functional diversity, and species diversity. So, we will find out which environmental variables, plant functional traits, and evolutionary factors can well predict the spatial pattern of phylogenetic diversity and species diversity of the common plant lineages. Then, we will identify the potential KBA based on these diversities in this region. 

  

Direction:
 

Achievements:
 

Article:
 

Chen L-Q, Li X, Yao X, Li D-Z, Barrett C, dePamphilis CW, Yu W-B. 2024. Variations and reduction of plastome are associated with the evolution of parasitism in Convolvulaceae. Plant Molecular Biology, 114:40. 

Chen H-Y, Zhang Z-R, Yao X, Ya J-D, Jin X-H, Wang L, Lu L, Li D-Z, Yang J-B, Yu W-B. 2024. Plastid phylogenomics provides new insights into the systematics, diversification, and biogeography of Cymbidium (Orchidaceae). Plant Diversity, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2024.03.001.  

Song Y, Xia S-W, Tan Y-H, Yu W-B, Yao X#, Xing Y-W#, Corlett RT#. 2023. Phylogeny and biogeography of the Cryptocaryeae (Lauraceae). Taxon, 72(6):1244-1261. (co-corresponding author) 

Pan B, Yao X, Corlett RT, Yu WB. 2023. Pueraria omeiensis (Fabaceae), a new species from Southwest China. Taiwania, 68(1):31-38. 

Yao X, Lu Z, Song Y, Hu X, Corlett RT. 2022. A chromosome-scale genome assembly for the holly, Ilex polyneura, provides insights into genomic adaptations to elevation in Southwest China. Horticulture Research, 9:uhab049. 

Yao X, Zhang F, Corlett RT. 2022. Utilization of the hollies (Ilex L. spp.): a review. Forests, 13(1):94. 

Yao X, Song Y, Yang JB, Tan YH, Corlett RT. 2021. Phylogeny and biogeography of the hollies (Ilex L., Aquifoliaceae). Journal of Systematics and Evolution, 59(1):73-82. 

Armani M, Goodale UM, Charles-Dominique T, Barton KE, Yao X, Tomlinson KW. 2020. Structural defence is coupled with the leaf economic spectrum across saplings of spiny species. Oikos, 129(5):740-762. 

Yao X, Tan YH, Yang JB, Wang Y, Corlett RT, Manen JF. 2019. Exceptionally high rates of positive selection on the rbcL gene in the genus Ilex (Aquifoliaceae). BMC Evolutionary Biology, 19:192. 

Song Y. Yu WB, Tan Y, Liu B, Yao X, Jin J, Padmanaba M, Yang JB, Corlett RT. 2017. Evolutionary comparisons of the chloroplast genome in Lauraceae and insights into loss events in the Magnoliids. Genome Biology and Evolution, 9(9):2354-2364. 

Yao X, Tan YH, Liu YY, Song Y, Yang JB, Corlett RT. 2016. Chloroplast genome structure in Ilex (Aquifoliaceae). Scientific Reports, 6: 28559. 

Yao X, Liu YY, Tan YH, Song Y, Corlett RT. 2016. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Helwingia himalaica (Helwingiaceae, Aquifoliales) and a chloroplast phylogenomic analysis of the Campanulidae. PeerJ, 4: e2734. 

Community service:
 

Commitment to research the situation: