Abstract Detail

Phylogenomics

Taylor, Annie [1], Smith, James (Jim) [2], Mansfield, Don [3], Feist, Mary Ann [4], Buerki, Sven [2], Darrach, Mark [5].

Resolving taxonomic uncertainty and clarifying species boundaries in the Cymopterus terebinthinus species complex.

Speciation processes are not well understood or agreed upon, but are essential to our general understanding of evolution and provide the basis for quantifying accurate assessments of biodiversity. Determining the point at which a genetically or morphologically divergent population becomes a unique species is challenging, especially in recent divergences and closely related taxa where issues like incomplete lineage sorting might provide misleading results. To complicate our theoretical disagreements on species definitions, different models inferring species boundaries may overly lump or split species. Using multiple lines of evidence to inform species boundaries can improve species inferences and avoid erroneous taxonomic groupings. The Cymopterus terebinthinus species complex is recently diverged and poorly understood. Clear boundaries between varieties have been in question since this species’ original circumscription because diverse morphotypes can be found in different specialized habitats like sand dunes and serpentine soils. Previous phylogenetic studies have further complicated species boundaries in this group because varietal rankings comprise non-monophyletic groups. I will present the progress of our research, which examines species boundaries in the Cymopterus terebinthinus species complex with advanced approaches. We hypothesize that speciation has occurred in ecologically and morphologically distinct populations. We will utilize Angiosperm 353, a universal target capture probe for angiosperms, and infer phylogenetic trees using maximum likelihood and coalescent based species delimitation models. We will combine this approach with the examination of morphological and ecological variables to corroborate the species groupings determined with our phylogenetic and species delimitation models. Preliminary evidence supports the monophyly of Cymopterus terebinthinus with the addition of Cymopterus petraeus, which comprises a subclade with Cymopterus terebinthinus var. albiflorus.

1 - Boise State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
2 - Boise State University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
3 - College of Idaho, Department of Biological Sciences, 2112 Cleveland Boulevard, Caldwell, ID, 83605, USA
4 - University Of Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Herbarium, 430 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, United States
5 - University of Washington, Herbarium, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA, 98195

Keywords:
phylogenetics
species delimitation
Apiaceae
Angiosperms353
species complex
next generation sequencing.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Number: PHYLO I016
Abstract ID:866
Candidate for Awards:None