| Abstract Detail
Biogeography Aguirre Santoro, Julian [1], Zuluaga Trochez, Alejandro [2], Betancur, Julio [3], Jabaily, Rachel [4]. Phylogenomics, biogeography, and adaptive evolution of Puya (Bromeliaceae). Phylogenomics have allowed better resolution of plant radiations in the most biodiverse mountain range of the world: the Andes. We generated a phylogenomic framework using the Angiosperm 353 probe set to study the phenotypic evolution and biogeography of the primarily Andean genus Puya (Bromeliaceae). Divergence time analyses and ancestral area estimations suggest the origin of the genus in Central Coastal Chile around 10 Ma followed by dispersal to the dry valleys of the Central Andes and Puna around 5-8 Ma, where the main lineages originated and diversified. From there, two important events occurred in the last 2-4 Ma: (1) a new colonization to the lowlands of Chile, and (2) a dispersal to the northern Andes via the "Jalcas" of northern Peru as a mean to pass the Amotape-Huancabamba gap. The later event gave rise to a major lineage primarily restricted to high elevation ecosystems: the northern Andean clade. We used phylogenetic comparative methods to test the hypothesis that colonization and adaptation to the island-like high elevation ecosystems of the Andes was possible thanks to novel configurations of leaf and floral indument, life history, and inflorescence shape. Our results suggest that the compression of the inflorescence axes as well as the overlapping of protective bracts correlate to life in high elevation ecosystems, probably as a strategy to avoid the freezing of reproductive structures. We also found that monocarpy is a condition that evolved exclusively at high elevation, although it is unclear if this is an adaptation to live under the harsh conditions of these ecosystems. Finally, our findings highlight that the early evolution of Puya in dry environments of the Central Andes likely provided a series of preadaptations that allowed the colonization of high elevation ecosystems. This framework opens new perspectives for understanding evolution in the Andes, such as the influence of dry biomes as cradles for young, high elevation biomes; the effect of the island-like configuration of the high elevation ecosystems in the evolutionary phenotypic rates of taxa restricted to these biomes; and the potential to study the genetic basis of adaptation to extreme conditions in mountain systems.
1 - Universidad Nacional De Colombia, Instituto De Ciencias Naturales, Carrera 30 # 45-03, Instituto De Ciencias Naturales, Oficina 304, Bogota, DC, 0000, Colombia
2 - Universidad del Valle, Departamento de Biología, Calle 13, #100-00, Cali, Colombia
3 - Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Bogota, Colombia
4 - Colorado College, Organismal Biology & Ecology, 14 E Cache La Poudre St, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Keywords:
Andes
Bromeliaceae
Paramo
Angiosperm 353
Inflorescence
phylogenomics.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Number: BIOG III004
Abstract ID:300
Candidate for Awards:None |
