Adaptive radiation in mediterranean cistus (cistaceae).

ABSTRACT:

Background

Adaptive radiation in Mediterranean plants is poorly understood. The white-flowered Cistus lineage consists of 12 species primarily distributed in Mediterranean habitats and is herein subject to analysis.

Methodology/principal findings

We conducted a "total evidence" analysis combining nuclear (ncpGS, ITS) and plastid (trnL-trnF, trnK-matK, trnS-trnG, rbcL) DNA sequences and using MP and BI to test the hypothesis of radiation as suggested by previous phylogenetic results. One of the five well-supported lineages of the Cistus-Halimium complex, the white-flowered Cistus lineage, comprises the higher number of species (12) and is monophyletic. Molecular dating estimates a Mid Pleistocene (1.04+/-0.25 Ma) diversification of the white-flowered lineage into two groups (

SUBMITTER: Guzman B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2719431 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature