Abstract Detail

Phylogenomics

Larson, Drew [1], Vargas, Oscar [2], Dick, Christopher [1].

Evidence of admixture among hyperdominant rainforest tree species in the Parvifolia clade of Eschweilera.

Admixture is a mechanism by which species of long-lived plants may acquire novel alleles. However, the potential role of admixture in the origin and maintenance of tropical plant diversity is unclear. We ask whether admixture occurs in an ecologically important clade of Eschweilera (Parvifolia clade, Lecythidaceae), which includes some of the most widespread and abundant tree species in Amazonian forests. Using target capture sequencing, we conducted a detailed phylogenomic investigation of 33 species in the Parvifolia clade and investigated specific hypotheses of admixture within a robust phylogenetic framework. We found strong evidence of admixture among three ecologically dominant species, E. coriacea, E. wachenheimii, and E. parviflora, but a lack of evidence for admixture among other lineages. Accepted species were largely distinguishable from one another, as was geographic structure within species. We show that hybridization may play a role in the evolution of the most widespread and ecologically variable Amazonian tree species. While admixture occurs among some species of Eschweilera, it has not led to widespread erosion of most species’ genetic or morphological identities. Therefore, current morphological based species circumscriptions appear to provide a useful characterization of the clade’s lineage diversity.

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Open access article DOI

1 - University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1105 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
2 - Humboldt State University, Biological Sciences, Arcata, CA, 95521

Keywords:
phylogenomics
Lecythidaceae
Ericales
admixture
Neotropics
hybridization
introgression
Tropical biodiversity
targeted sequencing.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Number: PHYLO II003
Abstract ID:553
Candidate for Awards:None