You are here:
Start
Bergius Botanic Garden
Research
Publications
Publications 2014
Smedmark J. E. E., Razafimandimbison S. G., Wikström N. and Bremer B. 2014

Smedmark J. E. E., Razafimandimbison S. G., Wikström N. and Bremer B. 2014

Inferring geographic range evolution of a pantropical tribe in the coffee family (Lasiantheae, Rubiaceae) in the face of topological uncertainty

Journal: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
Volume: 70
Pages: 182-194

Abstract:

In this study we explore what historical biogeographic events are responsible for the wide and disjunct distribution of extant species in Lasiantheae, a pantropical group of trees and shrubs in the coffee family. Three of the genera in the group, Lasianthus, Saldinia, and Trichostachys, are found to be monophyletic, while there are indications that the fourth, Ronabea, is paraphyletic. We also address how the uncertainty in topology and divergence times affects the level of confidence in the biogeographic reconstruction. A data set consisting of chloroplast and nuclear ribosomal DNA data was analyzed using a Bayesian relaxed molecular clock approach to estimate phylogenetic relationships and divergence times, and the dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis (DEC) method to reconstruct geographic range evolution. Our results show that the Lasiantheae stem lineage originated in the neotropics, and the group expanded its range to the palaeotropics during the Eocene, either by continental migration through the boreotropics or by transatlantic long-distance dispersal. Two cases of Oligocene/Miocene over water-dispersal were also inferred, once from the paleotropics to the neotropics within Lasianthus, and once to Madagascar, concurrent with the origin of Saldinia. A lot of the diversification within Lasianthus took place during the Miocene and may have been influenced by climatic factors such as a period of markedly warm and moist climate in Asia and the aridification of the interior of the African continent. When biogeographic reconstructions were averaged over a random sample of 1000 dated phylogenies, the confidence in the biogeographic reconstruction decreased for most nodes, compared to when a single topology was used. A good understanding of phylogenetic relationships is necessary to understand the biogeographic history of a group, bit since the phylogeny is rarely completely known it is important to include phylogenetic uncertainty in biogeographic analysis. For nodes where the resolution is uncertain, the use of a single ‘‘best’’ topology as a basis for biogeographic analysis will result in inflated confidence in a biogeographic reconstruction which may be just one of several possible reconstructions.

Last updated: March 19, 2014
Page editor: Niklas Wikström
Source: Bergius Botanic Garden

Tell a friend

Publications 2014

Xie P., Tu T., Razafimandimbison S. G., Zhu C. and Zhang D. 2014 2015-08-17 Phylogenetic position of Guihaiothamnus (Rubiaceae): its evolutionary and ecological implications.
Mouly, A., Kainulainen, K., Persson, C., Davis, A. P., Wong, K. M., et al. 2014 2015-01-26 Phylogenetic structure and clade circumscriptions in the Gardenieae complex (Rubiaceae)
Kainulainen, K. and Bremer, B. 2014 2015-01-26 Phylogeny of Euclinia and allied genera of Gardenieae (Rubiaceae), and description of Melanoxerus, an endemic genus of Madagascar
Razafimandimbison, S. G., Govaerts, R., and Bremer, B. 2014 2015-01-26 Proposal to conserve the name Gynochthodes against Stigmanthus (Rubiaceae)
Razafimandimbison, S. G., Taylor, C. M., Wikström, N., et al. 2014 2015-01-26 Phylogeny and generic limits in the sister tribes Psychotrieae and Palicoureeae (Rubiaceae): Evolution od schizocarps in Psychotria and origins of bacterial leaf nodules of the Malagasy species
Löfstrand, S. D., Krüger, Å, Razafimandimbison, S. G. and Bremer B. 2014 2015-01-26 Phylogeny and Generic Delimitations in the Sister Tribes Hymenodictyeae and Naucleeae (Rubiaceae)
Rodrigues de Moraes P. L., Dobreff J. and Reinhammar L. G. 2014 2014-04-23 The plants by Daniel Rolander (c. 1723–1793) in Diarium Surinamicum (1754–1765) and herbaria
Smedmark J. E. E., Razafimandimbison S. G., Wikström N. and Bremer B. 2014 2014-03-19 Inferring geographic range evolution of a pantropical tribe in the coffee family (Lasiantheae, Rubiaceae) in the face of topological uncertainty