David Hearn

David Hearn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Towson University. His research investigates evolutionary, developmental, and ecological mechanisms driving land plant diversity, with specialization in succulent plant evolution and computational approaches to botanical analysis. Education includes a B.A. in Biology from Carleton College and M.S./Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona.

Research domains encompass:

• Evolution of succulent growth forms across plant lineages
• Phylogenetic patterns in storage tissue development
• Bioinformatic approaches to plant morphology
• Convergent evolution in extreme environments

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on evolutionary plant anatomy, with recent work exploring genomic foundations of adaptive traits (2014), microbiome dynamics in insects (2013), and computational morphology (2009). Research employs interdisciplinary methods integrating phylogenetics, molecular genetics, and anatomical studies across model systems including Arabidopsis, Euphorbia, and Adenia.