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Plant Commun 2020 Mar 4;1(2):100027. Epub 2020 Feb 4.

College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.

Angiosperms (flowering plants) are the most diverse and species-rich group of plants. The vast majority (∼99.95%) of angiosperms form a clade called Mesangiospermae, which is subdivided into five major groups: eudicots, monocots, magnoliids, Chloranthales, and Ceratophyllales. Read More

Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021 03 5;156:107045. Epub 2021 Jan 5.

State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, College of Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address:

Ladybirds (family Coccinellidae) are one of the most diverse groups of beetles and globally comprise over 6000 species. Despite their scientific and economic significance, the taxonomy of Coccinellidae remains unstable, and we still know little about their evolutionary history. By using a small number of genes, previous phylogenetic analyses have not reliably resolved the relationships among major ladybird lineages. Read More

Am J Bot 2020 12 3;107(12):1763-1771. Epub 2020 Dec 3.

LH Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.

Premise: Fossils provide fundamental evidence of the evolutionary processes that crafted today's biodiversity and consequently for understanding life on Earth. We report the finding of Myrtaceidites eucalyptoides pollen grains preserved within the anthers of a 52-million-year-old Eucalyptus flower collected at Laguna del Hunco locality of Argentinean Patagonia and discuss its implications in understanding the evolutionary history of the iconic Australian genus Eucalyptus.

Methods: Pollen grains were extracted from the flower's anthers and were then observed under light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Read More

Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020 11 11;152:106939. Epub 2020 Aug 11.

CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Center of Conservation Biology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China. Electronic address:

Ottelia Pers. is the second largest genus of the family Hydrocharitaceae, including approximately 23 extant species. The genus exhibits a diversity of both bisexual and unisexual flowers, and complex reproductive system comprising cross-pollinated to cleistogamous flowers. Read More

Plant Cell 2020 03 9;32(3):650-665. Epub 2020 Jan 9.

Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) and Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Centromere position may change despite conserved chromosomal collinearity. Centromere repositioning and evolutionary new centromeres (ENCs) were frequently encountered during vertebrate genome evolution but only rarely observed in plants. The largest crucifer tribe, Arabideae (∼550 species; Brassicaceae, the mustard family), diversified into several well-defined subclades in the virtual absence of chromosome number variation. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019 11 21;116(45):22657-22663. Epub 2019 Oct 21.

McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

Butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) are one of the major superradiations of insects, comprising nearly 160,000 described extant species. As herbivores, pollinators, and prey, Lepidoptera play a fundamental role in almost every terrestrial ecosystem. Lepidoptera are also indicators of environmental change and serve as models for research on mimicry and genetics. Read More

J Exp Bot 2020 01;71(1):22-35

Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.

Several recent palaeobotanical studies claim to have found and described pre-Cretaceous angiosperm macrofossils. With rare exceptions, these papers fail to define a flower, do not acknowledge that fossils require character-based rather than group-based classification, do not explicitly state which morphological features would unambiguously identify a fossil as angiospermous, ignore the modern conceptual framework of phylogeny reconstruction, and infer features in the fossils in question that are interpreted differently by (or even invisible to) other researchers. This unfortunate situation is compounded by the relevant fossils being highly disarticulated two-dimensional compression-impressions lacking anatomical preservation. Read More

Ann Bot 2020 01;125(1):29-47

Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.

Background And Aims: Whole-genome duplication (WGD) events are considered important driving forces of diversification. At least 11 out of 52 Brassicaceae tribes had independent mesopolyploid WGDs followed by diploidization processes. However, the association between mesopolyploidy and subsequent diversification is equivocal. Read More

Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019 08 15;137:210-221. Epub 2019 May 15.

Center of Excellence in Phylogeny, and Department of Plant Science, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, PO Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

Astragalus, a highly diverse genus of flowering plants with its highest center of diversity in West Asia, is a classic example of rapid species-level radiation and adaptation to a diversity of habitats throughout the world. We examined the historical biogeography of Astragalus using molecular dating and ancestral area reconstruction to understand how past climate changes, geographical patterns and transition in life history have provoked diversification of Astragalus. Our results suggest that Astragalus probably originated during the middle Miocene in West Asia, underwent rapid diversification, subsequently and repeatedly expanded its range in the Mediterranean region, and later to North America through West Europe. Read More

Ann Bot 2019 06;123(6):1089-1098

Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Background And Aims: Tertiary relict and Arctic/circumboreal distributions are two major patterns of Northern Hemisphere intercontinental disjunctions with very different histories. Each has been well researched, but members of one biome have generally not been incorporated in the biogeographical analyses of the other, and links or transitions between these two biomes have rarely been addressed.

Methods: Phylogenies of Chimaphila were generated based on cpDNA and nuclear ITS, using Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods. Read More

New Phytol 2019 07 26;223(1):83-99. Epub 2019 Feb 26.

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.

The timing of the origin of angiosperms is a hotly debated topic in plant evolution. Molecular dating analyses that consistently retrieve pre-Cretaceous ages for crown-group angiosperms have eroded confidence in the fossil record, which indicates a radiation and possibly also origin in the Early Cretaceous. Here, we evaluate paleobotanical evidence on the age of the angiosperms, showing how fossils provide crucial data for clarifying the situation. Read More

Virology 2018 12 5;525:200-204. Epub 2018 Oct 5.

Fujian Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, PR China; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address:

Potato virus S (PVS) is a major plant pathogen that causes considerable losses in global potato production. Knowledge of the evolutionary history and spatio-temporal dynamics of PVS is vital for developing sustainable management schemes. In this study, we investigated the phylodynamics of the virus by analysing 103 nucleotide sequences of the coat protein gene, sampled between 1985 and 2014. Read More

Ann Bot 2019 01;123(1):191-204

Laboratoire Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France.

Background And Aims: Although dioecy, which characterizes only 6 % of angiosperm species, has been considered an evolutionary dead end, recent studies have demonstrated that this is not necessarily the case. Moraceae (40 genera, 1100 spp., including Ficus, 750 spp. Read More

Virus Res 2018 09 7;256:96-99. Epub 2018 Aug 7.

Key Laboratory for Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, PR China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Plant Virology, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, PR China; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address:

Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) is one of the most destructive pathogens of pepper crops and has major impacts on global crop yields. Some aspects of the molecular biology of PMMoV have been studied intensively, but estimates of its evolutionary rate have shown considerable variation. We investigated the phylodynamics of PMMoV by analysing 171 nucleotide sequences of the coat protein gene, sampled between 1980 and 2016. Read More

Mycologia 2018 May-Jun;110(3):526-545. Epub 2018 Jul 12.

a Departamento de Fitopatologia , Universidade de Brasília , 70910-900 , Brasília , Distrito Federal , Brazil.

Apiosphaeria guaranitica, the causal agent of brown crust disease of several bignoniaceous hosts, among them Handroanthus and Tabebuia species, has been traditionally placed in Phyllachoraceae, based exclusively on morphological studies, without supporting molecular evidence. Here, we provide molecular data for the link between sexual and asexual states of the fungus and elucidate the phylogeny of A. guaranitica. Read More

Mol Phylogenet Evol 2018 07 15;124:199-212. Epub 2018 Mar 15.

Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA (CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), Quintral 1250 (8400), Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina. Electronic address:

Coadaptation between mistletoes and birds captured the attention of Charles Darwin over 150 years ago, stimulating considerable scientific research. Here we used Loranthaceae, a speciose and ecologically important mistletoe family, to obtain new insights into the interrelationships among its hosts and dispersers. Phylogenetic analyses of Loranthaceae were based on a dataset of nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences. Read More

Nat Commun 2018 01 15;9(1):205. Epub 2018 Jan 15.

State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, College of Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.

Beetles (Coleoptera) are the most diverse and species-rich group of insects, and a robust, time-calibrated phylogeny is fundamental to understanding macroevolutionary processes that underlie their diversity. Here we infer the phylogeny and divergence times of all major lineages of Coleoptera by analyzing 95 protein-coding genes in 373 beetle species, including ~67% of the currently recognized families. The subordinal relationships are strongly supported as Polyphaga (Adephaga (Archostemata, Myxophaga)). Read More

Ann Bot 2018 03;121(3):431-442

Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.

Background And Aims: Early Palaeocene (Danian) plant fossils from Patagonia provide information on the recovery from the end-Cretaceous extinction and Cenozoic floristic change in South America. Actinomorphic flowers with eight to ten perianth parts are described and evaluated in a phylogenetic framework. The goal of this study is to determine the identity of these fossil flowers and to discuss their evolutionary, palaeoecological and biogeographical significance. Read More

Mol Ecol 2017 Nov 25;26(22):6445-6462. Epub 2017 Nov 25.

RG Plant Cytogenomics, CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.

Hybridization and genome doubling (allopolyploidy) have led to evolutionary novelties as well as to the origin of new clades and species. Despite the importance of allopolyploidization, the dynamics of postpolyploid diploidization (PPD) at the genome level has been only sparsely studied. The Microlepidieae (MICR) is a crucifer tribe of 17 genera and c. Read More

New Phytol 2017 Sep 25;215(4):1333-1353. Epub 2017 Jul 25.

Center for Integrative Geosciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.

Contents 1333 I. 1334 II. 1335 III. Read More

Plant Physiol 2017 Aug 30;174(4):2062-2071. Epub 2017 Jun 30.

Plant Cytogenomics Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology, and Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Clade E, or the clade, is one of the major Brassicaceae (Crucifereae) clades, comprising some 48 genera and 351 species classified into seven tribes and is distributed predominantly across arid and montane regions of Asia. Several taxa have socioeconomic significance, being important ornamental but also weedy and invasive species. From the comparative genomic perspective, the clade is noteworthy as it harbors species with the largest crucifer genomes but low numbers of chromosomes ( = 5-7). Read More

Ann Bot 2017 08;120(2):285-302

Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, CZ-252 43 Pruhonice, Czech Republic.

Background And Aims: Knowledge of diploid phylogeny and ecogeography provide a foundation for understanding plant evolutionary history, diversification patterns and taxonomy. The genus Anthoxanthum (vernal grasses, Poaceae) represents a taxonomically intricate polyploid complex with large phenotypic variation and poorly resolved evolutionary relationships. The aims of the study were to reveal: (1) evolutionary lineages of the diploid taxa and their genetic differentiation; (2) the past distribution of the rediscovered 'Mediterranean diploid'; and (3) possible migration routes of diploids in the Mediterranean. Read More

Ann Bot 2017 03;119(4):507-516

Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Porter Hall 315, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA.

Background And Aims: Radially symmetrical, five-winged fossil fruits from the highly diverse early Eocene Laguna del Hunco flora of Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina, are named, described and illustrated. The main goals are to assess the affinities of the fossils and to place them in an evolutionary, palaeoecological and biogeographic context.

Methods: Specimens of fossil fruits were collected from the Tufolitas Laguna del Hunco. Read More

Sci Rep 2016 11 9;6:36528. Epub 2016 Nov 9.

Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, Texas 76107-3400, USA.

Caragana, with distinctive variation in leaf and rachis characters, exhibits three centers of geographic distribution, i.e., Central Asia, the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), and East Asia, corresponding to distinct biomes. Read More

Syst Biol 2017 May;66(3):338-351

School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Edgeworth David Building A11, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.

The evolutionary timescale of angiosperms has long been a key question in biology. Molecular estimates of this timescale have shown considerable variation, being influenced by differences in taxon sampling, gene sampling, fossil calibrations, evolutionary models, and choices of priors. Here, we analyze a data set comprising 76 protein-coding genes from the chloroplast genomes of 195 taxa spanning 86 families, including novel genome sequences for 11 taxa, to evaluate the impact of models, priors, and gene sampling on Bayesian estimates of the angiosperm evolutionary timescale. Read More

Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016 07;371(1699)

Department of Palaeobiology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Svante Arrhenius Väg 9, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden.

The fossilized birth-death (FBD) model can make use of information contained in multiple fossils representing the same clade, and we here apply this model to infer divergence times in beeches (genus Fagus), using 53 fossils and nuclear sequences for all nine species. We also apply FBD dating to the fern clade Osmundaceae, with about 12 living species and 36 fossils. Fagus nuclear sequences cannot be aligned with those of other Fagaceae, and we therefore use Bayes factors to choose among alternative root positions. Read More

Mol Biol Evol 2016 08 28;33(8):1937-56. Epub 2016 Apr 28.

Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada

Once perceived as merely selfish, transposable elements (TEs) are now recognized as potent agents of adaptation. One way TEs contribute to evolution is through TE exaptation, a process whereby TEs, which persist by replicating in the genome, transform into novel host genes, which persist by conferring phenotypic benefits. Known exapted TEs (ETEs) contribute diverse and vital functions, and may facilitate punctuated equilibrium, yet little is known about this process. Read More

Evolution 2016 05 6;70(5):1136-44. Epub 2016 May 6.

Department of Botany, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.

Although the phylogenetic relationships between monocot orders are sufficiently understood, a timescale of their evolution is needed. Several studies on molecular clock dating are available, but their results have been biased by their calibration schemes. Recently, the fossilized birth-death model, a type of Bayesian dating method, was proposed, and it does not require prior calibration and allows the use all available fossils. Read More

Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016 06 15;99:204-224. Epub 2016 Mar 15.

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada. Electronic address:

Brassicales is a diverse order perhaps most famous because it houses Brassicaceae and, its premier member, Arabidopsis thaliana. This widely distributed and species-rich lineage has been overlooked as a promising system to investigate patterns of disjunct distributions and diversification rates. We analyzed plastid and mitochondrial sequence data from five gene regions (>8000bp) across 151 taxa to: (1) produce a chronogram for major lineages in Brassicales, including Brassicaceae and Arabidopsis, based on greater taxon sampling across the order and previously overlooked fossil evidence, (2) examine biogeographical ancestral range estimations and disjunct distributions in BioGeoBEARS, and (3) determine where shifts in species diversification occur using BAMM. Read More

New Phytol 2016 07 2;211(1):172-85. Epub 2016 Mar 2.

Molecular Plant Pathology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1089 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The ubiquitin-like modifier (UBL) SUMO (Small Ubiquitin-Like Modifier) regulates protein function. Structural rather than sequence homology typifies UBL families. However, individual UBL types, such as SUMO, show remarkable sequence conservation. Read More