About

Ken Cameron is a professor associated with the Conservation Biology major at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His work is embedded within a program designed to provide students with broad training in biological, ecological, and related disciplines relevant to conservation. The program emphasizes natural history, whole organism biology, ecological interactions, and conservation biology, fostering an environment for students to tailor their education to diverse interests. Cameron's role involves contributing to an academic environment that encourages student engagement in research, study abroad, volunteering, and internships, supporting the development of future conservation professionals. His work aligns with the department's mission to prepare students for careers in environmental conservation, natural resource management, and related fields, emphasizing the intrinsic values of natural resources and the importance of informed citizenship in conservation efforts.

Research topics

• Biology
• Evolutionary biology
• Botany
• Ecology
• Zoology

Selected publications

• Vanilla andina (Vanilloideae, Orchidaceae), a new species of the membranaceousleaved group from Peru and Ecuador

  The Catalogue of Life · 2026-02-17

  datasetOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• When Damage Becomes Diagnostic: Cracked Herbarium Specimens Reveal a New Taxonomic Character in Heliamphora (Sarraceniaceae)

  Phytotaxa · 2026-05-13

  articleSenior author

  N/A

  PublisherDOI

• Vanilla andina (Vanilloideae, Orchidaceae), a new species of the membranaceousleaved group from Peru and Ecuador

  The Catalogue of Life · 2026-02-16

  datasetOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Intraspecific comparative micromorphology of the Heliamphora pulchella (Sarraceniaceae) species complex

  2026-05-12

  articleSenior author

  Heliamphora pulchella (Sarraceniaceae) is a species complex known and grown in cultivation for its trichome variation. SEM was used to investigate the micromorphology of 13 accessions of H. pulchella from specimens representing populations on six different tepuis. A total of 91 micrographs including various features related to trichome size and density as well as stomata and extra-floral nectaries (EFNs) were characterized both quantitatively and qualitatively. Location-based gradients in size and densities of trichomes, EFNs, and stomata exist across the tepuis examined and suggest further taxonomic investigation.

  PublisherDOI

• Dissetangling the Vine: Phylogenomics and Historical Biogeography of <i>Vanilla</i> (Orchidaceae)

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2026-04-09

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Summary Renowned for its aromatic fruits and economic importance, the genus Vanilla poses longstanding taxonomic and phylogenetic challenges. Despite recent molecular studies, a comprehensive species tree is lacking, and the evolutionary processes and historical patterns shaping the genus remain poorly understood. We present a new, comprehensive phylogenomic framework for Vanilla , based on 349 low-copy nuclear genes and 76 plastid loci from the Angiosperms353 probe set, which we used to infer evolutionary relationships, assess cyto-nuclear and gene–species tree discordance, and thoroughly investigate its historical distribution and diversification. Sampling 43% of the genus, our framework resolves phylogenetic uncertainties, clarifies major clades, confirms prior hypotheses, and reveals novel placements, including V. planifolia and Vanilla subg. Gondwana . Discordances are primarily driven by incomplete lineage sorting, particularly in the vanillin-producing clade, with evidence of both ancient and recent hybridization, including a natural hybrid from the Yucatán Peninsula. Biogeographic analyses indicate a Guiana Shield origin (∼30 Mya), Amazonia as a major diversification source, the Andes as a permeable barrier, and Central America as the main diversification sink. This study provides a robust evolutionary framework for Vanilla , supporting taxonomic revisions, comparative trait analyses, and a deeper understanding of the processes shaping this economically and biologically important orchid genus.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• New Insights Into the Phylogeny and Biogeography of Goji Berries (<i>Lycium</i>, Solanaceae) Inferred From Plastid Data

  Journal of Biogeography · 2025-05-28 · 8 citations

  article

  ABSTRACT Aim Lycium L. (Solanaceae), which is known for producing goji berries, is an important plant with both medicinal and edible uses. This genus is globally distributed in temperate and subtropical regions. However, a comprehensive phylogeny and evolutionary history of this plant group is lacking so far. This study was executed to produce novel insights into the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of this small but economically important genus. Location North America, South America, Hawaii, Africa and Eurasia. Taxon Lycium L. (Solanaceae). Methods We established a phylogenetic framework for Lycium based on complete plastome sequences and data from 80 protein‐coding genes across 43 Lycium species using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. Furthermore, 14 species from the Solanaceae family were used as outgroups. Additionally, two Solanoideae fossils and one secondary calibration point were used to estimate divergence times and reveal the biographical history of these plants through ancestral area reconstruction. Results Our analysis revealed that six North American Lycium species were strongly supported as monophyletic with high support and were sister clades to the remainder of the genus. The remaining species from North America, South America and the Hawaiian Islands shared a common ancestor, whereas all species from Africa, Saharo‐Arabia and Eurasia formed a distinct clade. Our results indicated that Lycium originated in North America during the Late Oligocene and then dispersed to Hawaii and South America, from there to Africa, and then further to Saharo‐Arabia, with a more recent dispersal to Eurasia. Main Conclusions Our plastid genome data confirmed that Lycium originated in North America and identified long‐distance dispersal as the key to its global distribution. Genomic insights facilitate species identification and contribute to conservation efforts.

  PublisherDOI

• Towards a monograph of membranaceous Vanillas: a nomenclatural revision of Vanilla subgen. Vanilla (Vanilloideae, Orchidaceae)

  Plant Ecology and Evolution · 2025-04-04 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Background and aims – Vanilla subgenus Vanilla was established by Soto-Arenas and Cribb (2010) to include Neotropical species characterized by membranaceous leaves, a labellum without a penicillate callus, and a column attached solely at the base of the lip. Vanilla mexicana (= Epidendrum vanilla ) was the first species attributed to this subgenus, and its nomenclature traces back to the Vanilla ’s taxonomic origins, serving as the type species for the entire genus. Despite this, several biological aspects of membranaceous vanilla species remain poorly studied, including their taxonomy and nomenclature, which have not been thoroughly addressed. The lack of clarity regarding the circumscription of these fairly rare taxa has led to taxonomic confusion and neglect by botanists. This study aims to conduct a typological assessment of all names associated with Vanilla subgen. Vanilla. Material and methods – A comprehensive list of names attributable to Vanilla subgen. Vanilla was compiled from different sources. Protologues were studied for every name and type specimens were examined through direct visits or virtual herbaria. The International Code of Nomenclature of algae, fungi, and plants was followed for the type designation and nomenclatural notes. Key results – A comprehensive nomenclatural revision was carried out for 29 names. A total of eight lectotypes and one epitype are designated, with nomenclatural notes provided for most names within the subgenus.

  PublisherDOI

• Incomplete lineage sorting and introgression among genera and species of Liliaceae tribe Tulipeae: insights from phylogenomics

  BMC Biology · 2025-04-28 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Phylogenetic research in Tulipa (Liliaceae), a genus of significant economic and horticultural value, has relied on limited nuclear (mostly nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer, nrITS) and plastid DNA sequences, resulting in low-resolution phylogenetic trees and uncertain intrageneric classifications. The genus, noted for its large genome, presents discordant relationships among Amana, Erythronium, and Tulipa, likely due to incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and/or reticulate evolution. Thus, phylogenomic approaches are needed to clarify these relationships and the conflicting signals within the tribe Tulipeae. RESULTS: We newly sequenced 50 transcriptomes of 46 species of tribe Tulipeae (including multiple accessions of all four genera) and one outgroup species of the sister tribe Lilieae (Notholirion campanulatum), and downloaded 15 previously published transcriptomes of tribe Tulipeae to supplement the sampling. One plastid dataset (74 plastid protein-coding genes, PCGs) and one nuclear dataset (2594 nuclear orthologous genes, OGs) were constructed, with the latter used for species tree inference based on maximum likelihood (ML) and multi-species coalescent (MSC) methods. To investigate causes of gene tree discordance, "site con/discordance factors" (sCF and sDF1/sDF2) were calculated first, after which phylogenetic nodes displaying high or imbalanced sDF1/2 were selected for phylogenetic network analyses and polytomy tests to determine whether ILS or reticulate evolution best explain incongruence. Key relationships not resolved by this technique, especially those among Amana, Erythronium, and Tulipa, were further investigated by applying D-statistics and QuIBL. CONCLUSIONS: We failed to reconstruct a reliable and unambiguous evolutionary history among Amana, Erythronium, and Tulipa due to especially pervasive ILS and reticulate evolution, likely caused either by obscured minority phylogenetic signal or differing signals among genomic compartments. However, within Tulipa we confirmed the monophyly of most subgenera, with the exception of two species in the small subgenus Orithyia, of which Tulipa heterophylla was recovered as sister to the remainder of the genus, whereas T. sinkiangensis clustered within subgenus Tulipa. In contrast, most traditional sections of Tulipa were found to be non-monophyletic.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Genus Vanilla (Orchidaceae) in South America—Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru: An Annotated Checklist with a New Species

  Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden · 2025-10-21 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author

  The diversity of Vanilla Mill. in Andean South American countries remains significantly understudied, highlighting the urgent need for a robust taxonomic framework as a foundation for future biogeographic, monographic, phylogenetic, and ecological research. Drawing on extensive herbarium studies and fieldwork conducted by the authors over the past decade, we present a curated checklist of this economically important genus in South America, focused on the Andean countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Our review records 31 Vanilla species across the four countries, with Colombia emerging as the most species rich, followed by Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Among this diversity, we identified 25 species of potential interest as crop wild relatives of the globally cultivated V. planifolia Andrews. Moreover, we report several species not previously documented in our study area, including a new species from Ecuador, which we describe here as V. sekut Damián, Garzón &amp; Bentley. As part of our extensive herbarium and literature revision, we also designate six lectotypes, one neotype, and four epitypes. This checklist provides a critical baseline for future monographic and evolutionary studies on Vanilla in South America, offering valuable insights into its biodiversity and potential for agricultural and ecological applications.

  PublisherDOI

• Incomplete lineage sorting and introgression among genera and species of Liliaceae tribe Tulipeae: insights from phylogenomics

  Research Square · 2024-10-03

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Molecular systematics, flower micro-morphology, & floral fragrances in Mormolyca (Orchidaceae)

  NSF · $20k · 2013–2015

• Acquisition of a capillary DNA sequencer for The New York Botanical Garden

  NSF · $147k · 2005–2007

Frequent coauthors

• Mark W. Chase

  University of Vienna

  21 shared

• Chengxin Fu

  Beijing Forestry University

  19 shared

• Pan Li

  18 shared

• Matthew C. Pace

  New York Botanical Garden

  12 shared

• W. Mark Whitten

  University of Florida

  9 shared

• Lucy A. Dueck

  Savannah River National Laboratory

  8 shared

• Thomas J. Givnish

  8 shared

• Zhe‐Chen Qi

  Zhejiang Sci-Tech University

  8 shared

Labs

• Conservation BiologyPI

Education

• PhD, Biology

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill