Evolution Of Morphological Characters Research Articles

Phylogenetic Analyses of Molecular Data and Reconstruction of Morphological Character Evolution in Asian <I>Impatiens</I> section <I>Semeiocardium</I> (Balsaminaceae)

Phylogenetic analyses have revealed extensive evolutionary lability of morphological characters in the large genus Impatiens. This potentially complicates taxonomic classifications, especially if these are based on analyses which include a limited number of characters and taxa. In this study we focus on the systematics of previously poorly represented Impatiens from Southeast Asia, a hotspot of species diversity, using an expanded taxon sampling. Specifically we implement phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences from the nuclear ITS and plastid atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer and reconstruct the evolution of several morphological characters to study Semeiocardium, a taxon which has been recognized as a distinct genus, subgenus, and section in previous taxonomic treatments. Both Bayesian and Parsimony analyses demonstrated that Impatiens subg. Semeiocardium is not monophyletic. Thirteen representatives are part of a large clade, which also includes many other Southeast Asian taxa. Connate lateral united petals are a synapomorphy of this clade, while a four-locular ovary and connate outer lateral sepals are not. Impatiens muscicola and I. santisukii, which were previously classified under I. subg. Semeiocardium, do not belong to the clade with connate lateral united petals or to I. sect. Semeiocardium. Due to ambiguous combinations of morphological characters we could not determine whether sampled species belonged to I. sect. Semeiocardium. In addition to the characters that were used to diagnose I. sect. Semeiocardium, we identify connate lateral united petals as a taxonomically useful character to distinguish an additional monophyletic clade in I. sect. Semeiocardium. Further research is needed to identify diagnostic characters for the sister clade comprising I. stenosepala and its allies.

Origins and recent radiation of Brazilian Eupatorieae (Asteraceae) in the eastern Cerrado and Atlantic Forest

The remarkable diversity of Eupatorieae in the Brazilian flora has received little study, despite the tribe’s very high levels of endemism and importance in the threatened Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspots. Eupatorieae are one of the largest tribes in Asteraceae with 14 of 19 recognized subtribes occurring in Brazil. We constructed the largest phylogeny of Brazilian Eupatorieae to date that sampled the nrITS and ETS, chloroplast ndhI and ndhF genes, and the ndhI–ndhG intergenic spacer for 183 species representing 77 of the 85 Brazilian genera of the tribe. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses showed that these species are not collectively monophyletic, so their distribution reflects multiple introductions into Brazil. A novel clade was found that includes 75% of the genera endemic to Brazil (Cerrado-Atlantic Forest Eupatorieae, “CAFE” clade). This radiation of at least 247 species concentrated in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes of central eastern Brazil is <7 my old and exhibits several ecologically diverse life forms. Eight subtribes of Brazilian Eupatorieae (Ageratinae, Alomiinae, Ayapaninae, Critoniinae, Disynaphiinae, Eupatoriinae, Gyptidinae and Hebecliniinae) and 16 genera (Ageratum, Agrianthus, Austroeupatorium, Bejaranoa, Chromolaena, Critonia, Disynaphia, Grazielia, Hatschbachiella, Heterocondylus, Koanophyllon, Lasiolaena, Neocabreria, Praxelis, Stylotrichium, and Symphyopappus) were found to be polyphyletic. We attribute incongruities between the molecular phylogenetic results and the current classification of the tribe mostly to convergent evolution of morphological characters traditionally used in the classification of the tribe. We used these phylogenetic results to suggest changes to the classification of some subtribes and genera of Eupatorieae that occur in Brazil.

Molecular phylogeny and character evolution of Anemiaceae (Schizaeales)

AbstractAnemiaceae is one of the most ancient extant fern families, with fossils known since the Jurassic. Nowadays it has about 115 species, distributed in the Neotropics, Africa, Madagascar, and India. We analyzed the relationships among 81 species of Anemiaceae, based on four cpDNA regions, rbcL, rps4-trnS, trnG-trnR, and trnL-trnF. This sampling corresponds to approximately 70% of the family diversity, includes taxa from the main biogeographic areas, and represents all of the genera, subgenera and sections traditionally recognized in the family. Our results support the monophyly of Anemiaceae, and the recognition of a single genus, Anemia, which can be further subdivided in three subgroups: subg. Anemia, subg. Anemiorrhiza and the Mohria clade. In general, most of the sections that are recognized in Anemia are supported as natural groups, but some of them will need to have their circumscriptions altered in order to preserve monophyly. We also explored the evolution of morphological characters by optimizing them on the phylogenetic tree. Our results show that characters that have been traditionally used in the taxonomy of both extant and ancient groups, such as leaf dimorphism, and perispore morphology, are homoplastic within Anemiaceae.

Re‐evolution of a morphological precursor of crypsis investment in the newly revised horned praying mantises (Insecta, Mantodea, Vatinae)

AbstractThe Neotropical praying mantis tribe Vatini Stål is revised using total evidence phylogenetic analysis based on molecular and coded morphological data. The subfamily Vatinae is redefined to only include Neotropical taxa with the removal of distantly related African and Asian lineages. A new tribe is erected under Vatinae (Heterovatini trib.n.) for two unique genera with historically unstable taxonomic placement (Heterovates Saussure and Chopardiella Giglio‐Tos). Phylogenetic results and morphology support the synonymy of three genera (Lobovates Deeleman‐Reinhold, Phyllovates Kirby, and Hagiotata Saussure &amp; Zehntner) and the validity of Chopardiella Giglio‐Tos, Heterovates Saussure, Callivates Roy, Pseudovates Saussure, Vates Burmeister, and Zoolea Audinet Serville. A new genus (Alangularis gen.n.) is created for a former species of Vates with unique morphology and separate phylogenetic placement. All genera are redescribed based on external morphology and the male genital complex. A key to genera for Vatinae is provided with dorsal habitus images of representatives for each genus. A distinct pattern of correlated evolution of morphological characters linked to crypsis was uncovered. Cuticular leg lobes within single leg segments are evolving as sets, and serially homologous lobes appear simultaneously or in close succession. The posteroventral lobes in the apical position on thoracic femora appear to be the precursors to multiple positive rate shifts in the evolutionary accumulation of cryptic features. One shift occurred early in the evolution of Vatinae while the second occurred much later, after the loss and re‐evolution of the posteroventral lobes in the apical position on thoracic femora, a violation of Dollo's law.This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:724C16AF-069A-46A1-B66C-007D8DE18C68.

Biogeography and evolution ofDolichandra(Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae)

Little information on evolutionary relationships of Neotropical organisms or on the factors that have shaped the diversity currently encountered in this region is available. However, it is clear that biotic interactions and abiotic aspects have played important roles for species diversification in the region. This study focuses on Dolichandra (Bignonieae, Bignoniaceae), a clade of Neotropical lianas that is distributed broadly across different habitats and with diverse pollination and dispersal systems. We used sequences from two plastid DNA markers (ndhF and rpl32-trnL) and one nuclear gene (PepC) to infer phylogenetic relationships in Dolichandra using parsimony and Bayesian approaches. We then used this phylogenetic framework as basis to study the biogeographic history, reconstruct the evolution of morphological characters and test the impact of morphology and environment on the diversification of the genus. More specifically, we: (1) time-calibrate the phylogenetic tree of Dolichandra; (2) estimate the ancestral areas of the various lineages; (3) estimate the ancestral states of discrete and continuous morphological traits; (4) test for phylogenetic signal in environmental and phenotypic data; and (5) test whether morphological characters and/or niche evolution are correlated with cladogenesis. All Dolichandra spp. are monophyletic in the combined molecular phylogeny; relationships among species are generally well resolved, although poorly supported in some instances. The genus is inferred to have originated 36.43–26.23 Mya, possibly in eastern South America. Ancestral state reconstructions of continuous and discrete floral characters inferred a mixed morphology as the ancestral condition for the group. Phylogenetic signal differed between perianth and sexual whorls and gradual evolution was recovered for all traits except style length and anther length. Environmental variables showed no phylogenetic signal and a pattern of variation that was not correlated with branch length, suggesting that environmental transitions were concomitant with speciation. Dispersal is inferred to be the main driver of the differential distribution observed among species. In addition, climatic preferences and floral characters seem to have been important reproductive barriers in Dolichandra. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, ●●, ●●–●●.

Elucidating the evolutionary relationships of the Aiptasiidae, a widespread cnidarian-dinoflagellate model system (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Metridioidea).

Sea anemones of the family Aiptasiidae sensu Grajales and Rodríguez (2014) are conspicuous members of shallow-water environments, including several species widely used as model systems for the study of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis and coral bleaching. Although previously published phylogenetic studies of sea anemones recovered Aiptasiidae as polyphyletic, they only included a sparse sample in terms of its taxonomic diversity and membership of the family had not been yet revised. This study explores the phylogenetic relationships of this family using five molecular markers and including newly collected material from the geographical distribution of most of the currently described genera and species. We find a monophyletic family Aiptasiidae. All the currently proposed genera were recovered as monophyletic units, a finding also supported by diagnostic morphological characters. Our results confirm Bellactis and Laviactis as members of Aiptasiidae, also in agreement with previous morphological studies. The monophyly of the group is congruent with the morphological homogeneity of the members of this family. The obtained results also allow discussing the evolution of morphological characters within the family. Furthermore, we find evidence for and describe a new cryptic species, Exaiptasia brasiliensis sp. nov., based on molecular data, geographical distribution, and the identity of its endosymbiotic dinoflagellate.

Character trees from transcriptome data: Origin and individuation of morphological characters and the so-called "species signal".

We elaborate a framework for investigating the evolutionary history of morphological characters. We argue that morphological character trees generated by phylogenetic analysis of transcriptomes provide a useful tool for identifying causal gene expression differences underlying the development and evolution of morphological characters. They also enable rigorous testing of different models of morphological character evolution and origination, including the hypothesis that characters originate via divergence of repeated ancestral characters. Finally, morphological character trees provide evidence that character transcriptomes undergo concerted evolution. We argue that concerted evolution of transcriptomes can explain the so-called "species signal" found in several recent comparative transcriptome studies. The species signal is the phenomenon that transcriptomes cluster by species rather than character type, even though the characters are older than the respective species. We suggest the species signal is a natural consequence of concerted gene expression evolution resulting from mutations that alter gene regulatory network interactions shared by the characters under comparison. Thus, character trees generated from transcriptomes allow us to investigate the variational independence, or individuation, of morphological characters at the level of genetic programs.

Phylogenetics of African &lt;I&gt;Rinorea&lt;/I&gt; (Violaceae): Elucidating Infrageneric Relationships Using Plastid and Nuclear DNA Sequences

Rinorea is a pantropical genus of shrubs and small trees within the family Violaceae. The genus is particularly diverse in Africa where species are ecologically important as they are often abundant or even dominant in particular forest types and act as larval host plants for highly specialized Cymothoe butterflies. Despite their importance, species identification of African Rinorea is difficult and a taxonomic revision is needed. Previous phylogenetic studies have suggested that neotropical taxa are sister to a palaeotropical clade, with multiple independent dispersals to Madagascar, but these were based on plastid data only. We therefore present an updated phylogeny of Rinorea with increased sampling of African taxa, using plastid as well as nuclear DNA sequences. Phylogenetic relationships inferred from nuclear DNA data were generally congruent with those based on evidence from plastid haplotypes from earlier studies. Our increased taxonomic sampling also revealed previously undiscovered African Rinorea clades, some of which warrant further taxonomic study. Ancestral state reconstructions refute previous hypotheses about the evolution of morphological characters traditionally used for Rinorea infrageneric classification. In addition, some widespread species may comprise species complexes. It is clear that African Rinorea require comprehensive taxonomic revision; our contribution to understanding Rinorea infrageneric relationships will facilitate this task.

The effect of mating experience, age and territoriality on the male mating competition in Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Male competition to fertilize the eggs of females would result in conflicts between the members of one sex and evolution of secondary behavioral and morphological characters. Here, we investigated the effect of previous mating experience, territoriality and age on the male mating combat and precedence in two phytoseiid species; Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus californicus . Our results showed that naive P. persimilis males, which had not experienced mating before the experiment, were mostly the ones who were able to mate with the females first. In N. californicus, previous experience did not have any significant effect on the male behavior. Both naive and experienced males were able to mate females equally. Territoriality had no significant effect on male mating competition, in either P. persimilis , or N. californicus . We suggested that phytoseiid predatory mites might differ in phenotypical mating behave-iors, so that although they actively defended their mating territory, the consequences of their variation in phenotypical mating strategies led to a non-significant territoriality. The effect of age on male competing behavior was remarkable both in P. persimilis and N. californicus . P. persimilis younger males precede the elders in mating with females while in N. californicus , the older males were the ones who mated with the females first. The effects of female re-mating opportunity, the male phenotypical behavior, and spermatophore storage on male competing behavior are discussed.

Molecular phylogenetics of tribe Eudemeae (Brassicaceae) and implications for its morphology and distribution

Tribe Eudemeae comprises a morphologically heterogeneous group of genera distributed along the Andes of South America from Colombia southward into southern Chile and Argentina. The tribe currently includes seven genera: Aschersoniodoxa, Brayopsis, Dactylocardamum, Delpinophytum, Eudema, Onuris, and Xerodraba, and exhibits a wide morphological diversification in growth habit, inflorescences, and fruits. However, little is known about the phylogenetic relationships and evolution of the tribe. We present here a molecular phylogeny of representative sampling of all genera, utilizing sequence data from the nuclear ribosomal ITS region and chloroplast regions trnL-F, trnH-psbA, and rps16. Additionally, climatic niches of the tribe and its main lineages, along with the evolution of diagnostic morphological characters, were studied. All analyses confirmed the monophyly of Eudemeae, with the exception of Delpinophytum that was included with genera of the lineage I of Brassicaceae. Eudemeae is divided into two main lineages differentiated by their geographical distribution and climatic niche: the primarily north-central Andean lineage included Aschersoniodoxa, Brayopsis, Dactylocardamum, and Eudema, and the Patagonian and southern Andean lineage included Onuris and Xerodraba. Finally, ancestral-state reconstructions in the tribe generally reveal multiple and independent gains or losses of diagnostic morphological characters, such as growth form, inflorescence reduction, and fruit type. Relevant taxonomic implications stemming from the results are also discussed.

Phylogenetic perspectives on diversification and character evolution in the species-rich genusErysimum(Erysimeae; Brassicaceae) based on a densely sampled ITS approach

Erysimum includes 150–350 species distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, with Eurasia being the centre of greatest diversity. It is well known for its taxonomic complexity as a result of overlapping morphological characters. We present the first densely sampled phylogenetic analysis of Erysimum using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) DNA sequences from c. 85% of the species (117 for the first time), representing the full range of morphological variation and geographical distribution. We used several approaches to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships, dating of diversification and patterns of evolution of morphological characters in the genus. Ancestral-state reconstructions of four morphological diagnostic characters were performed using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. Our phylogenetic framework strongly supports the monophyly of Erysimum and recovers some well-supported clades that are geographically, rather than morphologically, correlated. Our study confirms the placement of Erysimum in lineage I and reveals two Malcolmia spp. (M. maritima and M. orsiniana) as its sister taxa. The results suggest that the biennial duration and caespitose habit (vs. annual or perennial duration and herbaceous or woody habit) and large, yellow, glabrous (vs. small, non-yellow, pubescent) petals are ancestral in Erysimum. The ancestral-state reconstruction results show that annual vs. perennial and woody vs. herbaceous features have been independently derived several times. The dating analyses suggest an early radiation of Erysimum during the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 175, 497–522.

Phylogeny and historical biogeography of the lastreopsid ferns (Dryopteridaceae)

• Premise of the study: As currently circumscribed, Lastreopsis has about 45 species and occurs in Australia, southern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, and the neotropics. Previous molecular phylogenetic studies suggested that Lastreopsis is paraphyletic. Our study focuses on resolving relationships among the lastreopsid ferns (Lastreopsis, Megalastrum, and Rumohra), the evolution of morphological characters, and an understanding of the temporal and spatial patterns that have led to the current diversity and geographical distribution of its extant species.• Methods: Phylogenetic relationships were recovered under Bayesian, maximum likelihood, and maximum parsimony methods, using a data set of four plastid markers. Divergence time estimates were made using BEAST, and the biogeographic hypotheses were tested under the DEC model and the RASP/S-DIVA methods.• Key results: Lastreopsis was recovered as paraphyletic, and at least one of its clades should be recognized as a distinct genus, Parapolystichum. Coveniella poecilophlebia and Oenotrichia tripinnata were nested within Lastreopsis s.s., Megalastrum and Rumohra as sister to the Lastreopsis s.s., and the Lastreopsis amplissima clades. The initial diversification of the lastreopsids took place at about 56.55 Ma, from a neotropical ancestor.• Conclusions: Taxonomic recognition of Parapolystichum is warranted to preserve the monophyly of Lastreopsis. Diversification among the main clades of the lastreopsid ferns was influenced by climatic and geological changes in the southern hemisphere. The biogeographic history of the group is intimately related to the trans-Antarctic corridor between Australia and South America, with evidence for multiple lineage interchanges between Australia and South America during the Oligocene and the Eocene epochs.

High frequency of character transformations is phylogenetically structured within the lichenized fungal family Graphidaceae (Ascomycota: Ostropales)

ABSTRACTGraphidaceae is a large family of over 2000 predominantly tropical, lichenized fungal species encompassing a remarkable range of morphological and chemical diversity. The majority of species belongs in subfamily Graphidoideae, which also exhibits the greatest amount of variation. Various phenotype characters have traditionally been used for classification at the genus and species levels, but their correlations with phylogenetic clades are poorly known. Using a multilocus approach, we reconstructed a phylogeny for 224 taxa, representing all main genera within subfamily Graphidoideae, and employed ancestral character reconstruction and character transformation analyses to understand the evolution of morphological, anatomical and chemical characters within this group. In addition, we examined the changes of habitat and photobiont types over the phylogeny. For this purpose, we focused on 10 characters, including thallus and ascoma features and chemistry. Since previous studies have shown that results may differ depending on the reconstruction method used, both Maximum-parsimony and Maximum-likelihood approaches were employed and multistate coding of characters was used. We reconstructed the ancestral states for 64 well-supported major clades in the family and found support for the ancestor of Graphidoideae being a tropical species with a trentepohlioid photobiont, apothecioid, solitary ascomata lacking both a columella and lateral paraphyses, and having non-amyloid ascospores. The frequency of transformations of morphological and chemical characters over the phylogeny of Graphidaceae was computed, resulting in a high frequency of reversible transformations for some characters, such as secondary chemistry, whereas other characters, such as photobiont, hymenial persistence or ascoma aggregation, exhibited low frequency of transformations. However, we found that even in the character with the highest number of transformations, secondary chemistry, the shifts were highly structured phylogenetically, suggesting that the evolution of the character, rather than the character state itself, can be used to predict phylogenetic relationships with certain accuracy.

Molecular phylogeny of the Brazilian endemic genus Orthophytum (Bromelioideae, Bromeliaceae) and its implications on morphological character evolution

The saxicolous genus Orthophytum (∼60 species, Bromeliaceae) is endemic to eastern Brazil and diversified in xeric habitats of the Atlantic Rainforest, Caatinga and campos rupestres. Within the genus, two main groups are discerned based on the presence or absence of a pedunculate inflorescence, which are further subdivided into several morphological subgroups. However, these systematic hypotheses have not yet been tested in a molecular phylogenetic framework. Here we present the first phylogenetic analysis of Orthophytum using nuclear and plastid markers (phytochrome C, and trnH-psbA and trnL-trnF spacers). Forty species representing the two main groups and all subgroups of Orthophytum, and the related genera Cryptanthus (8 spp.) and Lapanthus (2 spp.) were analyzed. The phylogenetic reconstruction revealed a well-supported clade termed Eu-Orthophytum, containing species with pedunculate inflorescences only. The Orthophytum species with sessile inflorescence formed two clades: (1) the amoenum group and (2) the vagans group plus O. foliosum, the only pedunculate Orthophytum species found outside Eu-Orthophytum. The vagans clade is in sister group position to Eu-Orthophytum. Within the latter, the subgroup mello-barretoi was sister to the most diversified clade, termed Core Orthophytum. Morphological character state reconstructions of floral characters used in previous taxonomic treatments as key diagnostic characters (penduncle presence, corolla form, and petal appendage form) showed different levels of homoplasy.

Low-copy nuclear gene and McGISH resolves polyploid history of Eleusine coracana and morphological character evolution in Eleusine

Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn. (finger millet) is the third most important cereal crop in semiarid regions of the world, but the degree of relatedness of finger millet with other species in the genus is unverified. The study of morphological character evolution in Eleusine Gaertn. has lagged behind due to lack of relevant research. Polyploidy history of finger millet was analyzed using waxy sequences together with multicolor genomic in situ hybridization (McGISH). In the waxy phylogenetic tree, sequences of 2 homoeologous loci were isolated from 3 tetraploids: Eleusine coracana, E. africana Kenn.-O'Byrne, and E. kigeziensis S.M.Phillips. The 3 species grouped with E. indica (L.) Gaertn. and E. tristachya (Lam.) Lam. in the W-A1 clade (A-type sequences). The W-B1 and W-B2 clades (B-type sequences) were composed of the E. africana-E. coracana and the E. jaegeri Pilg.-E. kigeziensis subclades, respectively. Eleusine indica probes produced stronger signals of relative intensities across A-genome chromosomes of finger millet than did the E. tristachya probes. The waxy phylogenetic tree and McGISH evidence support E. indica and E. tristachya (or its extinct sister or ancestor) as the primary and secondary A-genome parents for finger millet, respectively. The most likely scenario is that the B-genome donor is extinct. Five morphological characters were found to be homoplasious by optimization on waxy gene tree.

Molecular phylogeny of Astragalus section Anthylloidei (Fabaceae) inferred from nrDNA ITS and plastid rpl32-trnL(UAG) sequence data

The phylogeny of Astragalus L. section Anthylloidei DC. and its interrelationship with allies were examined. The study was conducted using nrDNA ITS and plastid rpl32-trnL (UAG) sequences. Astragalus sect. Anthylloidei is nonmonophyletic, and its members are scattered across the tree in 4 well-supported clades and intermixed with members of other spiny sections. All the multispecific informal groups of the section, with the exception of A. murinus Boiss. group, are not monophyletic. Morphological character evolution was mapped on the molecular tree. Our results suggest that morphology cannot elucidate infrageneric relationships in spiny Astragalus accurately; analyzed characters have evolved several times in sect. Anthylloidei and, thus, show high levels of homoplasy. Distribution of members of the section matches, more or less, certain geographic patterns, ranging from the Zagros mountains, Northwest Iran and Eastern Turkey, Central Iran to Northeast Iran, and Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. A new taxonomic system for this group of species is needed. The present study suggests that sect. Halicacabus Bunge, which has been merged with sect. Anthylloidei, should be resurrected since 8 species, including A. halicacabus Lam; A. wagneri Bartl. ex Bunge; A. distans Fisch.; A. raswendicus Hausskn. & Bornm.; A. veiskaramii Zarre, Podlech & T.Sabaii; A. submitis Boiss. & Hohen.; and A. chardinii Boiss. (sect. Anthylloidei) as well as A. semnanensis Bornm. & Rech. f. (sect. Semnanenses Podlech & Zarre), form a distinct clade. Sect. Eriostoma Bornm. is a distinct lineage from sect. Anthylloidei.

Phylogeny and Classification of Prunus sensu lato (Rosaceae)

The classification of the economically important genus Prunus L. sensu lato (s.l.) is controversial due to the high levels of convergent or the parallel evolution of morphological characters. In the present study, phylogenetic analyses of fifteen main segregates of Prunus s.l. represented by eighty-four species were conducted with maximum parsimony and Bayesian approaches using twelve chloroplast regions (atpB-rbcL, matK, ndhF, psbA-trnH, rbcL, rpL16, rpoC1, rps16, trnS-G, trnL, trnL-F and ycf1) and three nuclear genes (ITS, s6pdh and SbeI) to explore their infrageneric relationships. The results of these analyses were used to develop a new, phylogeny-based classification of Prunus s.l. Our phylogenetic reconstructions resolved three main clades of Prunus s.l. with strong supports. We adopted a broad-sensed genus, Prunus, and recognised three subgenera corresponding to the three main clades: subgenus Padus, subgenus Cerasus and subgenus Prunus. Seven sections of subgenus Prunus were recognised. The dwarf cherries, which were previously assigned to subgenus Cerasus, were included in this subgenus Prunus. One new section name, Prunus L. subgenus Prunus section Persicae (T. T. Yü & L. T. Lu) S. L. Zhou and one new species name, Prunus tianshanica (Pojarkov) S. Shi, were proposed.

Phylogenetic lineages in the Botryosphaeriales: a systematic and evolutionary framework

The order Botryosphaeriales represents several ecologically diverse fungal families that are commonly isolated as endophytes or pathogens from various woody hosts. The taxonomy of members of this order has been strongly influenced by sequence-based phylogenetics, and the abandonment of dual nomenclature. In this study, the phylogenetic relationships of the genera known from culture are evaluated based on DNA sequence data for six loci (SSU, LSU, ITS, EF1, BT, mtSSU). The results make it possible to recognise a total of six families. Other than the Botryosphaeriaceae (17 genera), Phyllostictaceae (Phyllosticta) and Planistromellaceae (Kellermania), newly introduced families include Aplosporellaceae (Aplosporella and Bagnisiella), Melanopsaceae (Melanops), and Saccharataceae (Saccharata). Furthermore, the evolution of morphological characters in the Botryosphaeriaceae were investigated via analysis of phylogeny-trait association. None of the traits presented a significant phylogenetic signal, suggesting that conidial and ascospore pigmentation, septation and appendages evolved more than once in the family. Molecular clock dating on radiations within the Botryosphaeriales based on estimated mutation rates of the rDNA SSU locus, suggests that the order originated in the Cretaceous period around 103 (45-188) mya, with most of the diversification in the Tertiary period. This coincides with important periods of radiation and spread of the main group of plants that these fungi infect, namely woody Angiosperms. The resulting host-associations and distribution could have influenced the diversification of these fungi.Taxonomic novelties: New families – Aplosporellaceae Slippers, Boissin & Crous, Melanopsaceae Phillips, Slippers, Boissin & Crous, Saccharataceae Slippers, Boissin & Crous.

Molecular Phylogenetic Relationships and Morphological Evolution within the Tribe Phyllodoceae (Ericoideae, Ericaceae)

Abstract The tribe Phyllodoceae is comprised of seven genera (Bejaria, Elliottia, Epigaea, Kalmia, Kalmiopsis, Phyllodoce, and Rhodothamnus). A clade within this tribe, comprised of all genera except Bejaria, was the subject of a phylogenetic study using six molecular markers. The goal of the study was to reconstruct a species-level phylogeny for the purpose of examining the evolution of morphological characters and to provide a framework for future studies in historical biogeography. Twenty-nine of 31 Phyllodoceae species were included in the molecular dataset of sequences from four plastid and two nuclear regions, and the remaining two species were included in a small morphological analysis. Most nodes were strongly supported using combined molecular data and four analytical approaches. Potential morphological synapomorphies were identified for some clades within the group. Evolutionary patterns in some morphological characters are apparent, which provide a basis for future anatomical and developmental ...

Combined Molecular and Morphological Phylogenetic Analyses of the Blakeeae (Melastomataceae)

Premise of research. The Blakeeae (Melastomataceae) comprise nearly 200 species in Blakea and Topobea and another 10 species in Chalybea and Huilaea. The former two genera have been separated primarily on the basis of characters pertaining to anther morphology. Combined molecular and morphological phylogenetic analyses were conducted to evaluate generic limits, reconstruct patterns of morphological character evolution, and identify clades within the tribe.Methodology. To test the monophyly of Blakea and Topobea, we analyzed 111 morphological characters, nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region, the accD-psaI and atpB-rbcL spacer regions, and trnL-trnF nucleotide sequence data, using maximum likelihood and parsimony in individual and variously combined data sets comprising up to 3955 characters and 135 terminals.Pivotal results. Chalybea and Huilaea were recovered as a clade sister to the clade of Blakea and Topobea. Neither of the latter two genera was resolved as being monophyletic in any ana...