Rapid and recent world-wide diversification of bluegrasses (Poa, Poaceae) and related genera.

ABSTRACT: Rapid species diversifications provide fascinating insight into the development of biodiversity in time and space. Most biological radiations studied to date, for example that of cichlid fishes or Andean lupines, are confined to isolated geographical areas like lakes, islands or island-like regions. Using DNA sequence data of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) for many species of the Poa alliance, a group comprising about 775 C3 grass species, revealed rapid and parallel diversifications in various parts of the world. Some of these radiations are restricted to isolated areas like the Andes, whereas others are typical of the lowlands of mainly the northern hemisphere. These radiations thus are not restricted to island-like areas and are seemingly actively ongoing. The ages of t

SUBMITTER: Hoffmann MH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3609727 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature