Morphological, genetic and ecological divergence in near-cryptic bryophyte species widespread in the Holarctic: the Dicranum acutifolium complex (Dicranales) revisited in the Alps.

ABSTRACT: There is mounting evidence that reproductively isolated, but morphologically weakly differentiated species (so-called cryptic species) represent a substantial part of biological diversity, especially in bryophytes. We assessed the evolutionary history and ecological differentiation of a species pair, Dicranum brevifolium and D. septentrionale, which have overlapping ranges in the Holarctic. Despite their morphological similarity, we found similar genetic differentiation as between morphologically well-differentiated Dicranum species. Moreover, we detected gene tree discordance between plastid and nuclear markers, but neither of the two datasets resolved the two as sister species. The signal in trnL-trnF better reflects the morphological and ecological affinities and indicates a close relat

SUBMITTER: Kiebacher T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11230997 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature