Eric J Tepe

 
Plant systematics, including taxonomy, phylogenetics, biogeography, and diversification of “giant genera” – those with over 1000 species – including Piper (Piperaceae) and Solanum (Solanaceae).  Evolution of ant-plant associations.  Visit my webpage for more details.  Click here for the CINC herbarium webpage.

Ph.D.: Miami University Oxford, Ohio, USA, 2005 (Botany)

In my research into plant systematics I make use of both traditional and contemporary techniques to study evolutionary relationships among species, morphological evolution, and the diversification of plant groups in both space and time.  

Solanum

I am currently working on the taxonomy and evolutionary relationships of the giant genus Solanum.  With over 1000 species, the genus Solanum presents the opportunity to work on both large and small-scale questions within the same group of plants.  The informally named “Potato Clade” is one of 12-15 well-supported major clades within Solanum, and since it includes the potato (S. tuberosum), tomato (S. lycopersicum), and pepino (S. muricatum), it is one of the most economically important clades of plants in the world.  The potato clade is exclusively New World in distribution, with most groups centered in the Andes of South America. 

Relationships within the Potato Clade

Most of the 200-300 species in the potato clade belong to a group of species closely related to tomato and potato and, as a result, are the focus of intense research; however, the clade contains four other smaller groups that remain virtually unknown and relationships among all of these groups are poorly understood.  The purpose of this study is to use DNA sequences from the nuclear and chloroplast genomes to resolve relationships among the groups that make up the potato clade and to identify morphological traits that make each of the groups easily identifiable in the field.

This study is in its preliminary stages, but the potato clade consists of five major groups: section Anarrhichomenum; section Basarthrum; section Herpystichum; and section Pteroidea; and a strongly supported clade composed of sections Petota (containing the potato), Lycopersicon (containing the tomato), Lycopersicioides, Juglandifolium, and Etuberosum. 

Revision of Solanum section Herpystichum

Despite the intense research focused on potato and its close relatives, other parts of the "potato clade" are very poorly known.  I am currently working on a revision of Solanum section Herpystichum, one of the most poorly known and undercollected of these groups.  The section consists of viny plants that root at the nodes.  This research has resulted in the discovery of three new species of Solanum from Ecuador. 

Investigators:Smilanich, A., Tepe, E.J., Dyer, L.A., Forister, M., Jeffrey C., Dodson, C., Whitfield, J. 01-01-2012 -12-31-2014 The National Science Foundatoin COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Phylogenetic and phytochemical cascades in the evolution of tropical diversity Role:co-PI $ 658,967 Active Type:Grant Level:International

Grant: #2012-00109-01 / DEB-1146119 Investigators:Tepe, Eric 02-01-2012 -01-31-2015 National Science Foundation Collaborative Research: Phylogenetic and Phytochemical Cascades in the Evolution of Tropical Diversity Role:PI $38,137.00 Active Type:Grant

Grant: #EF-1410548 Investigators:Culley, Theresa; Rogstad, Steven; Tepe, Eric 07-01-2014 -06-30-2016 National Science Foundation Digitization PEN: Digitization of North American Bryophyte and Lichen Specimens from Two Ohio Herbaria at the University of Cincinnati (CINC) Role:PI $166,627.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #DEB-1442075 Investigators:Tepe, Eric 11-01-2014 -10-31-2019 National Science Foundation Collaborative Research: Dimensions US-Biota Sao Paulo: Chemically mediated multi-trophic nteraction diversity across tropical gradients Role:PI $78,664.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #A21-0345-S003 / DBI-2001500 Investigators:Tepe, Eric 09-15-2020 -08-31-2023 National Science Foundation Digitization TCN: Collaborative Research: Building a global consortium of bryophytes and lichens: keystones of cryptobiotic communities Role:PI $20,393.00 Active Level:Federal

Grant: #DBI-2053302 Investigators:Culley, Theresa; Lentz, David; Tepe, Eric 09-15-2021 -08-31-2024 National Science Foundation CSBR: Natural History: Relocation and critical upgrades to storage, curation, and digital access to the Margaret H. Fulford Herbarium at the University of Cincinnati Role:PI 524176.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #BCS-2048440 Investigators:Dunning, Nicholas; Jackson, Sarah; Lentz, David; Tepe, Eric 09-01-2021 -08-31-2025 National Science Foundation Sustaining an Early Tropical Metropolis: Land, Water, and Forest Management at Calakmul, Mexico Role:Collaborator 226489.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #SUBK00014300/NSF DBI-2101868 Investigators:Tepe, Eric 09-15-2021 -08-31-2023 University of Michigan Digitization TCN: Collaborative Research: Bringing Asia to digital life: mobilizing underrepresented Asian herbarium collections in the US to propel biodiversity discovery Role:PI 32000.00 Hold Level:Higher Education

Grant: #NSF EF-2133818 Investigators:Tepe, Eric 01-15-2022 -12-31-2026 National Science Foundation URoL:EN Quantifying the phytochemical landscape through indigenous knowledge, interaction diversity, genomics Role:PI 356285.00 Hold Level:Federal

Peer Reviewed Publications

Tepe, E.J., G. Ridley, and L. Bohs (2012. ) A new species of Solanum named for Jeanne Baret, an overlooked contributor to the history of botany .PhytoKeys, ,

Tepe et al 2012

Tepe, E.J., and L. Bohs. (2011. ) A revision of Solanum sect. Herpystichum .Systematic Botany, , 36 ,1068-1087

Tepe and Bohs 2011

Pelser, P.B., E.J. Tepe, A.H. Kennedy, and L.E. Watson (2010. ) The fate of Robinsonia (Asteraceae): sunk in Senecio, but still monophyletic? .Phytotaxa, , 5 ,31-46

Pelser et al 2010-Robinsonia

Leiva González, S., F.T. Farruggia, E.J. Tepe, and C.T. Martine (2010. ) Browallia sandrae (Solanaceae) una nueva especie del Departamento Cajamarca, Perú / Browallia sandrae (Solanaceae) a new species from Cajamarca Department, Peru .Arnoldoa, , 17 ,9–17

Leiva et al. 2010

Stern, S.R., E.J. Tepe, and L.A. Bohs (2008. ) Checklist of Solanum of north-central Peru, a hotspot of biological diversity .Arnoldoa, , 15 ,277-284

Stern et al 2008

Crawford, D.J., E. Ruiz, T.F. Stuessy, E.J. Tepe, P. Aqeveque, F. Gonzalez, R.J. Jensen, G.J. Anderson, G. Bernardello, C.M. Baeza, U. Swenson and M. Silva O (2001. ) Allozyme diversity in endemic flowering plant species of the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, Chile: ecological and historical factors with implications or conservation .American Journal of Botany, , 88 ,2195-2203

Crawford et al 2001

Lentz D.L.; Hamilton T.L.; Dunning N.P.; Jones J.G.; Reese-Taylor K.; Anaya Hernández A.; Walker D.S.; Tepe E.J.; Carr C.; Brewer J.L.; Ruhl T.; Meyers S.A.; Vazquez M.; Golden A.; Weiss A.A. (06-02-2022. ) Paleoecological Studies at the Ancient Maya Center of Yaxnohcah Using Analyses of Pollen, Environmental DNA, and Plant Macroremains,.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, , 10 , More Information

Massad T.J.; Richards L.A.; Philbin C.; Yamaguchi L.F.; Kato M.J.; Jeffrey C.S.; Oliveira C.; Ochsenrider K.; de Moraes M.M.; Tepe E.J.; Cebrian Torregon G.; Sandivo M.; Dyer L.A. (01-01-2022. ) The chemical ecology of tropical forest diversity: Environmental variation, chemical similarity, herbivory, and richness.Ecology, , More Information

Uckele K.A.; Jahner J.P.; Tepe E.J.; Richards L.A.; Dyer L.A.; Ochsenrider K.M.; Philbin C.S.; Kato M.J.; Yamaguchi L.F.; Forister M.L.; Smilanich A.M.; Dodson C.D.; Jeffrey C.S.; Parchman T.L. (12-01-2021. ) Phytochemistry reflects different evolutionary history in traditional classes versus specialized structural motifs.Scientific Reports, , 11 (1 ) , More Information

Lentz D.L.; Hamilton T.L.; Dunning N.P.; Tepe E.J.; Scarborough V.L.; Meyers S.A.; Grazioso L.; Weiss A.A. (12-01-2021. ) Environmental DNA reveals arboreal cityscapes at the Ancient Maya Center of Tikal.Scientific Reports, , 11 (1 ) , More Information

Rabelo R.S.; Dyer L.A.; Lepesqueur C.; Salcido D.M.; da Silva T.P.; Rodrigues H.P.A.; Trindade T.B.; Diniz I.R.; Nascimento A.R.; Tepe E.J.; Massad T.J. (10-01-2021. ) Tritrophic interaction diversity in gallery forests: A biologically rich and understudied component of the Brazilian cerrado.Arthropod-Plant Interactions, , 15 (5 ) ,773-785 More Information

Campos-Moreno D.F.; Dyer L.A.; Salcido D.; Massad T.J.; Pérez-Lachaud G.; Tepe E.J.; Whitfield J.B.; Pozo C. (07-01-2021. ) Importance of interaction rewiring in determining spatial and temporal turnover of tritrophic (Piper-caterpillar-parasitoid) metanetworks in the Yucatán Península, México.Biotropica, , 53 (4 ) ,1071-1081 More Information

Amazonas D.R.; Oliveira C.; Barata L.E.S.; Tepe E.J.; Kato M.J.; Mourão R.H.V.; Yamaguchi L.F. (01-01-2021. ) Chemical and Genotypic Variations in Aniba rosiodora from the Brazilian Amazon Forest.Molecules, , 26 (1 ) , More Information

Lentz D.L.; Hamilton T.L.; Dunning N.P.; Scarborough V.L.; Luxton T.P.; Vonderheide A.; Tepe E.J.; Perfetta C.J.; Brunemann J.; Grazioso L.; Valdez F.; Tankersley K.B.; Weiss A.A. (12-01-2020. ) Molecular genetic and geochemical assays reveal severe contamination of drinking water reservoirs at the ancient Maya city of Tikal.Scientific Reports, , 10 (1 ) , More Information

Egydio Brandão A.P.M.; Yamaguchi L.F.; Tepe E.J.; Salatino A.; Kato M.J. (10-01-2020. ) Evaluation of DNA markers for molecular identification of three Piper species from Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest.PLoS ONE, , 15 (10 October ) , More Information

Mardonovich S.; Tepe E.J.; Moore R. (01-01-2019. ) The natural diversity of Carica papaya in Panama.Acta Horticulturae, , 1250 ,99-109 More Information

Tepe E.J. (01-01-2018. ) A series of unfortunate events: The forgotten botanist and the misattribution of a type collection.PhytoKeys, , (109 ) ,33-39 More Information

Jahner J.; Forister M.; Parchman T.; Smilanich A.; Miller J.; Wilson J.; Walla T.; Tepe E.J.; Richards L.; Quijano-Abril M.; Glassmire A.; Dyer L. (12-01-2017. ) Host conservatism, geography, and elevation in the evolution of a Neotropical moth radiation.Evolution, , 71 (12 ) ,2885-2900 More Information

Glassmire A.E.; Jeffrey C.S.; Forister M.L.; Parchman T.L.; Nice C.C.; Jahner J.P.; Wilson J.S.; Walla T.R.; Richards L.A.; Smilanich A.M.; Leonard M.D.; Morrison C.R.; Simbaña W.; Salagaje L.A.; Dodson C.D.; Miller J.S.; Tepe E.J.; Villamarin-Cortez S.; Dyer L.A. (10-01-2016. ) Intraspecific phytochemical variation shapes community and population structure for specialist caterpillars.The New phytologist, , 212 (1 ) ,208-219 More Information

Tepe E.J.; Anderson G.J.; Spooner D.M.; Bohs L. (05-03-2016. ) Relationships among wild relatives of the tomato, potato, and pepino.Taxon, , 65 (2 ) ,262-276 More Information

Bornstein A.J.; Smith J.F.; Tepe E.J. (02-01-2014. ) Two new species of piper from the greater antilles.Systematic Botany, , 39 (1 ) ,10-16 More Information

Tepe E.J.; Rodríguez-Castañeda G.; Glassmire A.; Dyer L. (01-01-2014. ) Piper kelleyi, a hotspot of ecological interactions and a new species from Ecuador and Peru.PhytoKeys, , 2014 (34 ) ,19-32 More Information

Wilson J.S.; Forister M.L.; Dyer L.A.; O (03-01-2012. ) Host conservatism, host shifts and diversification across three trophic levels in two Neotropical forests.Journal of Evolutionary Biology, , 25 (3 ) ,532-546 More Information

Sanchez-Puerta M.; Abbona C.; Zhuo S.; Tepe E.J.; Bohs L.; Olmstead R.; Palmer J. (10-04-2011. ) Multiple recent horizontal transfers of the cox1 intron in Solanaceae and extended co-conversion of flanking exons.BMC Evolutionary Biology, , 11 (1 ) , More Information

Tepe E.J.; Bohs L. (10-01-2011. ) A revision of Solanum section herpystichum.Systematic Botany, , 36 (4 ) ,1068-1087 More Information

Tepe E.J.; Farruggia F.T.; Bohs L. (08-01-2011. ) A 10-gene phylogeny of Solanum section Herpystichum (Solanaceae) and a comparison of phylogenetic methods.American Journal of Botany, , 98 (8 ) ,1356-1365 More Information

Rodríguez-Castañeda G.; Forkner R.E.; Tepe E.J.; Gentry G.L.; Dyer L.A. (05-01-2011. ) Weighing defensive and nutritive roles of ant mutualists across a tropical altitudinal gradient.Biotropica, , 43 (3 ) ,343-350 More Information

Pelser P.B.; Kennedy A.H.; Tepe E.J.; Shidler J.B.; Nordenstam B.; Kadereit J.W.; Watson L.E. (05-01-2010. ) Patterns and causes of incongruence between plastid and nuclear Senecioneae (Asteraceae) phylogenies.American Journal of Botany, , 97 (5 ) ,856-873 More Information

Tepe E.J.; Bohs L. (01-01-2010. ) A molecular phylogeny of Solanum sect. Pteroidea (Solanaceae) and the utility of COSII markers in resolving relationships among closely related species.Taxon, , 59 (3 ) ,733-743 More Information

Tepe E.J.; Bohs L. (11-25-2009. ) Three new species of solanum section herpystichum (Solanaceae) from Ecuador .Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, , 3 (2 ) ,511-519

Tepe E.J.; Kelley W.A.; Rodriguez-Castañeda G.; Dyer L.A. (02-04-2009. ) Characterizing the cauline domatia of two newly discovered Ecuadorian ant-plants in Piper: an example of convergent evolution.Journal of Insect Science, , 9 , More Information

Jaramillo M.A.; Callejas R.; Davidson C.; Smith J.F.; Stevens A.; Tepe E.J. (10-01-2008. ) A phylogeny of the tropical genus Piper using ITS and the chloroplast intron psbJ-petA.Systematic Botany, , 33 (4 ) ,647-660 More Information

Smith J.F.; Stevens A.C.; Tepe E.J.; Davidson C. (10-01-2008. ) Placing the origin of two species-rich genera in the Cretaceous with later species divergence in the Tertiary: a phylogenetic, biogeographic, and molecular dating analysis of Piper and Peperomia (Piperaceae).Plant Systematics and Evolution, , 275 (1-2 ) ,9-30 More Information

Tepe E.J.; Vincent M.; Watson L. (02-01-2007. ) The importance of petiole structure on inhabitability by ants in Piper sect. Macrostachys (Piperaceae).Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, , 153 (2 ) ,181-191 More Information

Tepe E.J.; Vincent M.; Watson L. (01-01-2007. ) Stem diversity, cauline domatia, and the evolution of ant-plant associations in Piper sect. Macrostachys (Piperaceae).American Journal of Botany, , 94 (1 ) ,1-11 More Information

Crawford D.; Landolt E.; Les D.; Tepe E.J. (07-01-1997. ) Allozyme variation and the taxonomy of Wolffiella.Aquatic Botany, , 58 (1 ) ,43-54 More Information

Book Chapter

Tepe, E.J., M.A. Vincent and L.E. Watson (2004 ) Phylogenetic patterns, evolutionary trends and the origin of ant-plant associations Piper section Macrostachys: Burger’s hypotheses revisited Piper: a model genus for studies of phytochemistry, ecology, and evolution .(pp. 157-178).Boston, Kluwer Academic (Author)

Tepe et al 2004

Invited Presentations

Tepe, E.J. (03-12-2015. ) Convergent morphology and the evolution of ant–plant associations in neotropical Piper (Piperaceae) .Serra Bonita Reserve, Camacan, Bahia, Brazil. Workshop. . Level:International

Tepe, E.J. (04-23-2014. ) Taming the Green Giants: making sense of two of the world’s largest plant genera .Givaudan Flovour Corporation, Cincinnati, OH. Other Institution. . Level:Local

Tepe, E.J. (11-18-2013. ) Potatoes and peppers gone wild: taming the systematics of two of the world's largest plant 5 CV April 2015 – E.J. Tepe  genera .Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, OH. Other Institution. . Level:University

Tepe, E.J. (09-21-2012. ) Potatoes gone wild: phylogeny and the search for synapomorphies among relatives of Solanum tuberosum .Department of Botany, Miami University, Oxford, OH. Other Institution. . Level:Department

Tepe, E.J. (2011. ) Black peppers and wild potatoes: systematics of two of the world's largest plant genera .Faculty Center for Biodiversity, University of Vienna, Austria. Other Institution. . Level:International

Tepe, E.J. (11-13-2015. ) Room and board provided: the evolution of an ant–plant symbiosis, or Morphology, phylogeny, and the evolution of ant-plant associations in neotropical Piper (Piperaceae).” .Meeting of the Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society, Avon Woods Nature Center, Cincinnati, OH. Other Institution. . Level:Regional

Tepe, E.J. (03-22-2018. ) Convergent morphology and the evolution of ant–plant associations in neotropical Piper (Piperaceae). Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. Other Institution. . Level:International

Tepe, E.J. (04-10-2018. ) Room and board provided: ant-plant symbioses in one of the world’s largest plant genera. Oxbow, Inc., Lawrenceburg, IN. Other Institution. . Level:Regional

Poster Presentations

Culley, T., J. Lee, B. Merritt, R. Tunison, J. Barreiro-Sanchez, M. Philpot, M. Torres, M. Ammar, R. Elam, A. Koshoffer, A. Johnson, and E. Tepe (2017. ) UC Data Day .University of Cincinnati. . Conference. . Level:University

Koshoffer, A. and E.J. Tepe (2016. ) Challenges and Opportunities in an Institutional Repository Self-Submission Model .Research Data Access and Preservation (RDAP) Summit, Atlanta, Georgia. . Professional Meeting. . Level:National

Miller, L. and E.J. Tepe (2016. ) Root beer plant” and its relatives: a molecular phylogeny of Piper sect. Pothomorphe .Meetings of the Botanical Society of America and the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, Savannah, Georgia. . Professional Meeting. . Level:International

Egydio, A.P.M., N.C. Yoshida, L.Y.V. Gutiérrez, L.L.F. Yamaguchi, L.B. Motta, E.J. Tepe, M.L. Salatino, A. Salatino, and M.J. Kato (09-2014. ) Phylogenetic studies of Peperomia and Piper: reconstruction of secondary metabolite evolution .62nd International Congress and Annual Meeting of the Society of Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research, Guimãres, Portugal. . Conference. . Level:International

Tepe, E.J. and L. Bohs (07-2014. ) The spud family tree: relationships within the Potato clade of the giant genus Solanum (Solanaceae) .Meeting of the Botanical Society of America, Boise, ID. . Conference. . Level:International

Tepe, E.J. and L. Bohs (2014. ) The spud family tree: relationships within the Potato clade of the giant genus Solanum (Solanaceae). Meeting of the Botanical Society of America, Boise, Idaho. . Professional Meeting. . Level:International

Mardonovich, S., E.J. Tepe, and R. Moore (07-2013. ) Morphological diversity of natural Carica papaya populations in Panama .Meeting of the Botanical Society of America, New Orleans, LA. . Conference. . Level:International

Tepe, E.J., Smilanich, A., M.L. Forister, L.A. Dyer, C.S. Jeffrey, L. Richards, C.D. Dodson, Wilson, J.S., Whitfield, J.B., Jaramillo, M.A., Jahner, J., Glassmire, A.E., Leonard, M., McMahon, K., Miller, J.S., Parks, K. (07-2013. ) Phylogenetic and phytochemical cascades in the evolution of tropical diversity .Meeting of the Botanical Society of America, New Orleans, LA. . Conference. . Level:International

Smilanich, A., M.L. Forister, L.A. Dyer, C.S. Jeffrey, L. Richards, C.D. Dodson, Wilson, J.S., Tepe, E.J., Whitfield, J.B., Jaramillo, M.A., Jahner, J., Glassmire, A.E., Leonard, M., McMahon, K., Miller, J.S., Parks, K. (03-2013. ) Phylogenetic and phytochemical cascades in the evolution of tropical diversity .Gordon Research Conference: the changing face of plant-herbivore studies, Ventura, CA. . Conference. . Level:International

Glassmire, A.E., C.S. Jeffrey, M.L. Forister, J.S. Wilson, M. Leonard, T. Walla, J.S. Miller, E.J. Tepe and L.A. Dyer (03-2013. ) Phytochemical variation as a mechanism for diversification .Gordon Research Conference: the changing face of plant-herbivore studies, Ventura, CA. . Conference. . Level:International

Paper Presentations

Mardonovich, S., E.J. Tepe, and R.C. Moore (07-29-2015. ) Population structure in Carica papaya in Panama .Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Professional Meeting. Level:International

Tepe, E.J. A.J. Bornstein, M. Carvalho-Silva, A.P.M. Egydio, M.A. Jaramillo, and J.F. Smith (07-28-2015. ) Creating order out of chaos: a phylogeny of the Radula clade of Piper .Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Professional Meeting. Level:International

1997 -To Present: Botanical Society of America

1999 -To Present: American Society of Plant Taxonomists

2000 -To Present: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society

2004 -To Present: International Association of Plant Biosystematists

2013 -To Present: Society of Herbarium Curators

2013 -To Present: Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections

2014 -To Present: Ohio Moss and Lichen Association

-BIOL-1005 GENETICS & SOCIETY Level:Undergraduate

-BIOL-3052 MEDICAL BOTANY Level:Undergraduate

-BIOL-3052 MEDICAL BOTANY Level:Undergraduate

-BIOL-3010C BOTANY Level:Undergraduate

-BIOL-2082C EVOL ECOL GENETICS Ecology and Evolution Level:Undergraduate