biostudies-literatureUnknown13(1)Low YWGarden City Fund, National Parks Board (NParks), SingaporeNanyang Technological UniversitySpecies radiations, despite immense phenotypic variation, can be difficult to resolve phylogenetically when genetic change poorly matches the rapidity of diversification. Genomic potential furnished by palaeopolyploidy, and relative roles for adaptation, random drift and hybridisation in the apportionment of genetic variation, remain poorly understood factors. Here, we study these aspects in a model radiation, Syzygium, the most species-rich tree genus worldwide. Genomes of 182 distinct species and 58 unidentified taxa are compared against a chromosome-level reference genome of the sea apple, Syzygium grande. We show that while Syzygium shares an ancient genome doubling event with other Myrtales, little evidence exists for recent polyploidy events. Phylogenomics confirms that Syzygium origNature communications5031https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9468008biostudies-literatureGenomic insights into rapid speciation within the world's largest tree genus Syzygium.PMC9468008Fleck SJMetali FArmstrong KSukri RSLow YWYong KTHeatubun CDMcDonald WJFCho NRWWidodo PRustiami HVasconcelos TNCTrias-Blasi AWanma JFBerhaman ALai JTKGirmansyah DKalat MAIbrahim BCheek MIbrahim ALim WHLee SMLLucas EJArdi WHAhmad JABurslem DFRPKathriarachchi HSMichael TPTrethowan LANiissalo MKintamani ESunarti SYap JWKhew GSWRajaraman SNaiki ALeong PKFKoh SLChoo LMMiddleton DJLum SKYFord AJJayasinghe HDCowie IDAthen PRepin RMustaqim WATomlin CMWijesundara DSAForster PIAlbert VABone REWorboys SLindqvist CGoyder DJCrayn DMahyuni RRanasinghe SSimbiak VINgo KMSalojarvi JGray BfalseGenomic insights into rapid speciation within the world's largest tree genus Syzygium.Species radiations, despite immense phenotypic variation, can be difficult to resolve phylogenetically when genetic change poorly matches the rapidity of diversification. Genomic potential furnished by palaeopolyploidy, and relative roles for adaptation, random drift and hybridisation in the apportionment of genetic variation, remain poorly understood factors. Here, we study these aspects in a model radiation, Syzygium, the most species-rich tree genus worldwide. Genomes of 182 distinct species and 58 unidentified taxa are compared against a chromosome-level reference genome of the sea apple, Syzygium grande. We show that while Syzygium shares an ancient genome doubling event with other Myrtales, little evidence exists for recent polyploidy events. Phylogenomics confirms that Syzygium orig2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Sep2025-04-19T00:30:54.188Z2025-04-07T11:40:55.507ZS-EPMC94680083609701810.1038/s41467-022-32637-x