Abstract Detail

Annonaceae evolution: integrating molecules, biogeography and ecology

Erkens, Roy H.J. [1], Maas, Jan W. [2], Veldhuijzen, Katrui [2], Brandão, Rita D. [1].

A reflection of the complex geological history of the Caribbean in the phylogeographic patterns of two Caribbean tree species (Guatteria; Annonaceae).

The geological and biogeographical history of the Carribean is complex. It consists of two larger blocks of islands: the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The former are old and precede the emergence of the Lesser Antilles. Although the flora of the region is diverse (the region is considered a distinctive phytogeographic unit within the Neotropics), faunal studies mostly underlie our knowledge of the evolution and biogeography of the region. What is known about the flora of the region is mainly based on floristic studies and relatively few phylogeographic studies have been undertaken so far. However, a phylogeographic study provides direction, timing and order for the reconstruction of geographic distributions and can be used to infer whether dispersal, vicariance or a mix of both needs to be inferred to explain current biogeographical patterns.  In this study two Caribbean species of the Neotropical genus Guatteria are investigated. Species of Guatteria are frequent constituents of Neotropical (lowland) forests and the genus is widely distributed throughout Mesoamerica (c. 30 species), the Caribbean (2 species) and South America (c. 150 species). Guatteria blainii is the only species of Guatteria occurring in the Greater Antilles and can be found on Cuba, Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti), and the western side of Puerto Rico. Guatteria caribaea is the only species of the genus occurring in the Lesser Antilles (Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Kitts, and Saint Lucia) but also grows on the eastern side of Puerto Rico. Although both species occur on Puerto Rico their distributions do not overlap. For this study, previously published species-level phylogenetic data was combined with newly generated phylogeographic data of two chloroplast markers. Our analyses allow us to hypothesise that, on one hand, G. blainii is nested within a Central American grade, is phylogenetically an older species, and show that genetic diversity within the species is clearly present. On the other hand, G. caribaea , seems to be related to the South American species of the genus, is younger, and has almost no genetic diversity. These phylogeographic data mirror the geological history of the region and the relevance of this will be further discussed.

Related Links:
Annonaceae website

1 - Maastricht University, Maastricht Science Programme, P.O. Box 616, Maastricht, 6200 MD, The Netherlands
2 - Utrecht University, Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity Group, The Netherlands

Keywords:
Caribbean
Annonaceae
Biogeography
plants
phylogeography
systematics
tropical tree species.

Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: SY04
Location: Pines South/Boise Centre
Date: Tuesday, July 29th, 2014
Time: 9:30 AM
Number: SY04004
Abstract ID:344
Candidate for Awards:None