Museomics Unveil the Phylogeny and Biogeography of the Neglected Juan Fernandez Archipelago Megalachne and Podophorus Endemic Grasses and Their Connection With Relict Pampean-Ventanian Fescues.

ABSTRACT: Oceanic islands constitute natural laboratories to study plant speciation and biogeographic patterns of island endemics. Juan Fernandez is a southern Pacific archipelago consisting of three small oceanic islands located 600-700 km west of the Chilean coastline. Exposed to current cold seasonal oceanic climate, these 5.8-1 Ma old islands harbor a remarkable endemic flora. All known Fernandezian endemic grass species belong to two genera, Megalachne and Podophorus, of uncertain taxonomic adscription. Classical and modern classifications have placed them either in Bromeae (Bromus), Duthieinae, Aveneae/Poeae, or Loliinae (fine-leaved Festuca); however, none of them have clarified their evolutionary relationships with respect to their closest Festuca relatives

SUBMITTER: Moreno-Aguilar MF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7333454 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature