Geographical structure, narrow species ranges, and Cenozoic diversification in a pantropical clade of epiphyllous leafy liverworts.

ABSTRACT: The evolutionary history and classification of epiphyllous cryptogams are still poorly known. Leptolejeunea is a largely epiphyllous pantropical liverwort genus with about 25 species characterized by deeply bilobed underleaves, elliptic to narrowly obovate leaf lobes, the presence of ocelli, and vegetative reproduction by cladia. Sequences of three chloroplast regions (rbcL, trnL-F, psbA) and the nuclear ribosomal ITS region were obtained for 66 accessions of Leptolejeunea and six outgroup species to explore the phylogeny, divergence times, and ancestral areas of this genus. The phylogeny was estimated using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference approaches, and divergence times were estimated with a Bayesian relaxed clock method. Leptolejeunea

SUBMITTER: Bechteler J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5243195 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature