| Abstract Detail
Systematics Section/ASPT Last, Noah [1], Thulin, Mats [2], Struwig, Madeleen [3], Douglas, Norman [1], Moore, Michael J. [1]. Global biogeography of Commicarpus (Nyctaginaceae) based on nuclear and chloroplast loci. Commicarpus (Nyctaginaceae Tribe Nyctagineae) is a genus of ~35 species of herbs and shrubs distributed throughout the semiarid tropics and subtropics. The center of diversity of the genus is in eastern Africa, especially the Horn of Africa, where one species—C. reniformis—is gypsum endemic. Commicarpus is the only genus of Nyctagineae that is more diverse outside than inside the Americas. To resolve the biogeographic history of the genus and to determine the origin of C. reniformis, we reconstructed the phylogeny of Commicarpus using nearly complete species sampling (56 individuals representing 27 species) and DNA sequence data from two nuclear loci (ITS and ETS) and five plastid loci (ndhF/rpl32 spacer, rpl32/trnL spacer, matK, ndhF, and ycf1). Commicarpus was recovered as monophyletic with strong support, but backbone relationships in the genus were largely poorly supported with short branches, reflecting a likely recent, rapid radiation. The Eastern Hemisphere taxa were monophyletic in the plastid tree, and were nearly monophyletic in the nuclear tree, but support values were poor. Our tree topologies imply that Commicarpus likely dispersed one time from the Western to Eastern Hemispheres then dispersed and radiated rapidly across the entire paleotropics and subtropics including Australia, China, the Middle East, and southern Africa. The rapid radiation and weak support prevent a clear understanding of species relationships among the Eastern Hemisphere taxa in particular, including the gypsum endemic C. reniformis.
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Phylogeny and Phylogeography of Gypsum Endemism
1 - Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA
2 - Uppsala University, Department of Systematic Biology, EBC, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
3 - University of Zululand, Department of Botany, KwaDlangezwa 3880, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Keywords:
Commicarpus
Nyctaginaceae
gypsum endemism
biogeography
Rapid radiation
Phylogenetics.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PSY021
Abstract ID:624
Candidate for Awards:None |
