The focus of the research group Rosaceae Evolution is the natural history of the flowering plant clade Rosaceae – including the phylogenetic backbone of the clade and its finer structure, the species and speciation processes, biogeographic history, and taxonomy.
The Rosacaeae is a clade of almost 5000 species of flowering plants distributed on all continents (except Antarctica), but they are most common in the northern hemisphere. Rosaceae are well known as important fruit crop plants, and numerous ornamentals: Apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, loquat, quinces, roses, meadowsweet, crabapples etc.