| Abstract Detail
Systematics Section Bush, Catherine [1], Wagstaff, Steven J. [2], Fritsch, Peter W. [3], Kron, Kathleen A. [1]. The phylogeny, biogeography and morphological evolution of Gaultheria (Ericaceae) from Australia and New Zealand. Phylogenetic relationships within Gaultheria L. from Australia and New Zealand were examined using DNA sequence data from matK, ndhF, nrITS, waxy and lfy. The combined parsimony and ML analyses support monophyly of the Australia/New Zealand clade, although the species from each respective locality do not form clades. The Australia/New Zealand clade is sister to a clade containing temperate South American taxa. Two species, Gaultheria foliolosa Benth. and G. myrsinoides H.B. & K., have conflicting relationships between the nuclear and chloroplast data analyses. Optimization of morphological characters that have been emphasized in classifications of Gaultheria onto the molecular phylogeny revealed that (1) non-fleshy calyces likely evolved from fleshy calyces at least two times, (2) berries arose from the plesiomorphic capsular condition only once, and (3) solitary-flowered inflorescences likely evolved two times within the Australia/New Zealand clade. The results of the biogeographic analysis suggest a (southern South America (New Zealand, Australia)) relationship which is corroborated by other published plant phylogenies of the region. Based on the phylogenetic results of our study, we hypothesize that Gaultheria dispersed to New Zealand from temperate South America and subsequently dispersed to Australia at least three times.
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1 - Wake Forest University, Department of Biology, PO Box 7325, 226 Winston Hall, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27109-7325, USA
2 - Landcare Research, Allan Herbarium, P.O. Box 69, Lincoln, 8152, New Zealand
3 - California Academy of Sciences, Department of Botany, 55 Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, 94118-4599, USA
Keywords:
Gaultheria
lfy
Biogeography
Southern Hemisphere.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for BSA Sections
Session: 4
Location: Cottonwood D/Snowbird Center
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2009
Time: 9:45 AM
Number: 4007
Abstract ID:21 |
