Abstract Detail

Systematics Section/ASPT

Mora, M. Marcela [1], Clark, John L. [2].

Character Evolution and Biogeography in the Neotropical Paradrymonia alliance.

A phylogeny of the Paradrymonia alliance identified seven well-supported clades. We assessed the taxonomic utility of the following morphological and ecological characters through ancestral state reconstruction: habit, growth form, shoot dorsiventral symmetry, calyx lobe connation, calyx lobe shape, pollination syndrome, presence of bearded anthers and corolla shape. Characters were optimized on a parsimony strict consensus tree from a total evidence analysis of ITS, ETS and psbA-trnH. Ancestral ranges were reconstructed by mapping current geographic distributions. The ancestral area reconstructions strongly support a relatively recent diversification of the Paradyrmonia alliance with the most recent common ancestor originating in the Guiana Shield roughly 10 Mya. Unidirectional shifts from entomophily to ornitophily have occurred multiple times in the Paradrymonia alliance. The shift from campanulate to hypocytoid corollas is strongly supported as having a single origin. Most of evaluated characters for genera/clades within the Paradrymonia alliance were homoplasic suggesting convergent evolution as a result of common ecological adaptations.

1 - The University Of Alabama, Department Of Biological Sciences, Box 870345, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487-0345, USA
2 - The University Of Alabama, Department Of Biological Sciences, Box 870345, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA

Keywords:
neotropics
Biogeography
Phylogeny
Gesneriaceae
bird-pollination
bee-pollination
convergent evolution.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 33
Location: River Fork/Grove
Date: Wednesday, July 30th, 2014
Time: 11:45 AM
Number: 33014
Abstract ID:834
Candidate for Awards:None