The explosive radiation of Cheirolophus (Asteraceae, Cardueae) in Macaronesia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Considered a biodiversity hotspot, the Canary Islands have been the key subjects of numerous evolutionary studies concerning a large variety of organisms. The genus Cheirolophus (Asteraceae) represents one of the largest plant radiations in the Canarian archipelago. In contrast, only a few species occur in the Mediterranean region, the putative ancestral area of the genus. Here, our main aim was to reconstruct the phylogenetic and biogeographic history of Cheirolophus with special focus on explaining the origin of the large Canarian radiation.

Results

We found significant incongruence in phylogenetic relationships between nuclear and plastid markers. Each dataset provided resolution at different levels in Cheirolophus: the nuclear markers resolved the backbone of

SUBMITTER: Vitales D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4048045 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature