Abstract Detail

Systematics

Caraballo-Ortiz, Marcos A. [1], Carlo, Tomas [2], dePamphilis, Claude W. [3].

Elucidating evolutionary relationships and biogeography on the endemic Caribbean mistletoes Dendropemon (Loranthaceae) using multiple transcriptomes and traditional molecular markers.

Dendropemon (Loranthaceae in Santalales) is a strictly insular genus of mistletoes endemic to the Caribbean archipelago. The genus represents a unique opportunity for the study of evolution of plant species on islands because it is the only endemic genera present on most major Caribbean islands. In addition, Dendropemon presents an opportunity to exemplify how evolutionary radiations on archipelagos occur for hemiparasitic plants and to test hypotheses about how their unique lifestyle shapes processes of diversification. The objective of this study was to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships within the genus to test monophyly of Dendropemon and validate currently recognized species. The utility of traditional nuclear and chloroplast molecular markers (ITS, matK, and trnL-F) to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships for Dendropemon and outgroups was tested, but we obtained low levels of sequence divergence (3.1%, 2.0%, and 1.4%, respectively). An alternative approach was conducted by generating multiple transcriptomes for Dendropemon and outgroups using Illumina® sequencing to discover single-copy genes and build phylogenetic trees with high resolution at species level and below. Preliminary phylogenies suggest that islands contain a mixture of closely and distantly related Dendropemon species, suggesting multiple colonization events and in-situ speciation. Results obtained from molecular and morphological data support nomenclatural and taxonomic changes within the genus such as species revalidations and description of new taxa, and allow biogeographic reconstructions, estimation of divergence times, and to examine the role of hosts in the radiation of the genus.

1 - Penn State University, 208 Mueller Lab, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
2 - Penn State University, Biology, 208 Mueller Lab, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
3 - The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biology, University Park, State College

Keywords:
Loranthaceae
Transcriptome
phylogenetics
Caribbean
Mistletoe
Parasitic plants
taxonomy
Tropical plants.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 31, Cooley Awards II
Location: 201/Savannah International Trade and Convention Center
Date: Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016
Time: 4:45 PM
Number: 31013
Abstract ID:850
Candidate for Awards:George R. Cooley Award