Abstract Detail

Bryophytes and Lichens on the Edges of Changing Ecosystems

Leavitt, Steven [1], Esslinger, Ted [2].

What’s happing in foliose Physciaceae – insights into evolution and diversity from broad North American sampling.

Physciaceae is a diverse and ubiquitous group of lichen-forming fungi, including both foliose and crustose lichens. Ongoing interest in generic delimitations, particularly in the heterogeneous genus Rinodina, has resulted in several recent taxonomic changes. In other cases, species boundaries in well-known, common species have been called into question. These taxonomic questions suggest a fascinating and understudied diversification history in this important family of symbiotic fungi. Here, we aim to explore the origin of members of the family that form foliose lichens – e.g., Hyperphyscia, Heterodermia, Phaeophyscia, Phaeorrhiza, Physcia, Physconia – and species-level diversity within these groups. To this end, we generated DNA sequence data from over 1800 specimens, targeting species throughout North America. For Physcia, we used a genome skimming approach to infer a robust phylogenetic inference for this genus. Our sequence-based approach suggests that foliose lichens evolved multiple times independently from crustose ancestors with Physciaceae. Within the foliose genera, taxonomic issues abound, further highlighting a complex evolutionary history. These results provide a crucial foundation for bettering understanding diversity in this commonly occurring family.

1 - Brigham Young University, Biology & M.L. Bean Museum of Life Sciences, 4143 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
2 - North Dakota State University, Dept. of Biological Sciences

Keywords:
Symbiosis
phylogenomics
high-throughput sequencing  
Cryptic Species
Taxonomy .

Presentation Type: Colloquium Presentations
Number: C7009
Abstract ID:1045
Candidate for Awards:None