Spatial phylogenetics in Hechtioideae (Bromeliaceae) reveals recent diversification and dispersal

Abstract

Background: Hechtioideae is a group of Bromeliaceae that is distributed in Megamexico III. In recent years, evolutionary relationships within this lineage have been studied, however, the biogeography of these plants have not yet been explored from a phylogenetic framework. The integration of geographic and phylogenetic information in the evolutionary study of organisms has facilitated the identification of patterns, as well as the exploration of new hypotheses that allow understanding the processes that have influenced the evolutionary history of lineages.
 Questions and/or Hypotheses: What is the biogeographic history of this lineage? How Hechtioideae has diversified over time?
 Results: The Neotropical region has the highest species richness of Hechtioideae and the Mexican Transition Zone is the area with the greatest phylogenetic diversity. This lineage presented its highest diversification rate during the late Miocene and Pleistocene (6.5-1 Ma). The ancestral area of the group corresponds to the Neotropical region and the Mexican Transition Zone. In addition, Hechtioideae spread across their current ranges through multiple dispersal events associated with climatic and geological events during the last 10 Ma.
 Conclusions: Hechtioideae is a group of recent origin whose evolutionary history has been strongly influenced by geological and climatic events over the past 10 Ma, such as the glacial and interglacial periods of the Pleistocene and the great tectonic and volcanic activity that led to the formation of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.