Divergence With Gene Flow and Contrasting Population Size Blur the Species Boundary in Cycas Sect. Asiorientales, as Inferred From Morphology and RAD-Seq Data.

ABSTRACT: The divergence process of incipient species is fascinating but elusive by incomplete lineage sorting or gene flow. Species delimitation is also challenging among those morphologically similar allopatric species, especially when lacking comprehensive data. Cycas sect. Asiorientales, comprised of C. taitungensis and C. revoluta in the Ryukyu Archipelago and Taiwan, diverged recently with continuous gene flow, resulting in a reciprocal paraphyletic relationship. Their previous evolutionary inferences are questioned from few genetic markers, incomplete sampling, and incomprehensive morphological comparison by a long-term taxonomic misconception. By whole range sampling, this study tests the geographic mode of speciation in the two species of Asiorientales by

SUBMITTER: Chang JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9125193 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature