Bryophyte phylogeny and DNA barcoding: tools for assessing Brazilian diversity

Abstract

The identification and delimitation of bryophyte species are complicated tasks because they are very small plants with limited, and often variable, morphological characters. Molecular data have been useful for clarifying the evolutionary relationships among taxa and the diversity of species. The first classification of mosses using DNA was proposed in 2000, while in Brazil the first phylogenetic study of bryophytes using DNA was published in 2006. Other phylogenetic works involving molecular data have since been published for Dicranaceae, Leucobryaceae, Pylaisiadelphaceae and Sematophyllaceae. Another molecular method, DNA barcoding, has recently begun to be used with Brazilian bryophytes. DNA barcoding consists of identifying a short sequence of DNA from a standardized region of the genome that aids in species identification. Many regions of chloroplast and nuclear DNA are being tested as DNA barcode markers for the identification of various groups of plants. The selection of such markers for bryophytes has been controversial and is yet to be investigated for Brazilian taxa. The project “DNA—barcoding of Brazilian bryophytes—a case study to improve the identification of tropical bryophyte species” started in 2014 with an initial investigation of four bryophyte genera, including three mosses and one liverwort. Studies that include molecular tools are important because they contribute to biodiversity assessment, forensic analyses and studies of life history and ecology, among other areas of knowledge.