6533b7dafe1ef96bd126ebab

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Disentangling phylogeography, polyploid evolution and taxonomy of a woodland herb (Veronica chamaedrys group, Plantaginaceae s.l.) in southeastern Europe

Gerald M. SchneeweissManfred A. FischerKatharina E. BardyPeter SchönswetterPeter SchönswetterDirk C. AlbachDirk C. Albach

subject

0106 biological sciencesGenome sizeAFLPBiodiversityWoodland010603 evolutionary biology01 natural sciencesArticlePolyploidyEvolution Molecular03 medical and health sciencesPolyploidSoutheastern Europeparasitic diseasesGeneticsPlantaginaceaeAmplified Fragment Length Polymorphism AnalysisMolecular BiologyPhylogenyEcology Evolution Behavior and Systematics030304 developmental biologyMorphometricsPlastid DNA0303 health sciencesbiologyEcologyVeronica chamaedrysfood and beveragesBalkan Peninsula15. Life on landbiology.organism_classificationClassificationVeronicaEuropePhylogeographyPhylogeographyTaxonomy (biology)Morphometricsgeographic locationsVeronica chamaedrysGenome Plant

description

Southeastern Europe is a centre of European biodiversity, but very little is known about factors causing the observed richness. Here, we contribute to fill this gap by reconstructing the spatio-temporal diversification of the cytologically variable and taxonomically intricate complex of Veronica chamaedrys (Plantaginaceae s.l.), growing in open forests, forest edges and grasslands, with flow cytometry, molecular markers (AFLPs, plastid DNA sequences) and morphometry. Our results show that both diploid and tetraploid cytotypes are widespread, but diploids predominate on the southern Balkan Peninsula. Plastid sequences suggest a first split into three main lineages in the mid-Pleistocene and a continuous diversification during the last 0.4 my. Two of the identified plastid lineages coincide with geographically distinct AFLP clusters. Altogether, the genetic data suggest forest refugia on the southern-most Balkan Peninsula (Greece), in Bulgaria, Istria (Croatia and Slovenia) and maybe the southeastern Carpathians (Romania). Morphometric and genetic data show little congruence with current taxonomy.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2010-11-01Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
10.1016/j.ympev.2010.06.025http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2010.06.025