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Zhang Q, Yang Y, Liu B, Lu L, Sauquet H, Li D, Chen Z. Meta-analysis provides insights into the origin and evolution of East Asian evergreen broad-leaved forests. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:2369-2379. [PMID: 38186378 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Evergreen broad-leaved forests (EBLFs) are dominated by a monsoon climate and form a distinct biome in East Asia with notably high biodiversity. However, the origin and evolution of East Asian EBLFs (EAEBLFs) remain elusive despite the estimation of divergence times for various representative lineages. Using 72 selected generic-level characteristic lineages, we constructed an integrated lineage accumulation rate (LAR) curve based on their crown ages. According to the crown-based LAR, the EAEBLF origin was identified at least as the early Oligocene (c. 31.8 million years ago (Ma)). The accumulation rate of the characteristic genera peaked at 25.2 and 6.4 Ma, coinciding with the two intensification periods of the Asian monsoon at the Oligocene - Miocene and the Miocene - Pliocene boundaries, respectively. Moreover, the LAR was highly correlated with precipitation in the EAEBLF region and negatively to global temperature, as revealed through time-lag cross-correlation analyses. An early Oligocene origin is suggested for EAEBLFs, bridging the gap between paleobotanical and molecular dating studies and solving conflicts among previous estimates based on individual representative lineages. The strong correlation between the crown-based LAR and the precipitation brought about by the Asian monsoon emphasizes its irreplaceable role in the origin and development of EAEBLFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Yuchang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Limin Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Hervé Sauquet
- National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Dezhu Li
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Zhiduan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China
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2
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Marques MP, Parrinha D, Lopes-Lima M, Tiutenko A, Bauer AM, Ceríaco LMP. An island in a sea of sand: a first checklist of the herpetofauna of the Serra da Neve inselberg, southwestern Angola. Zookeys 2024; 1201:167-217. [PMID: 38779586 PMCID: PMC11109511 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1201.120750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The Serra da Neve inselberg in Namibe Province, southwestern Angola is the second highest peak of Angola with an elevation of 2489 m. It remains one of the least explored regions in the country, despite several endemic species having been recently described from this inselberg. Here we provide an inventory of the amphibian and reptile species ocurring in Serra da Neve and compare its fauna with that of the surrounding habitats at lower elevations. We also examine the phylogenetic affinities of the inselberg taxa. A total of 59 herpetological taxa were recorded for the Serra da Neve inselberg and its immediate surroundings. These include 11 species of amphibians, belonging to nine genera and seven different families, and 48 species of reptiles, belonging to 32 genera and 12 families. Of these, one amphibian and seven reptiles from seven different genera are strictly endemic, making the inselberg the richest region in southwestern Africa with respect to strict endemics, with one endemic reptile taxa per 127 km2. Not surprisingly, most of the recorded taxa belong to clades that are endemic, or at least strongly associated, with southern Africa, but two are representatives of central African clades, and another two are more closely related to eastern African highland taxa. We also provide comments on the threats to the conservation of this endemic-rich inselberg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana P. Marques
- Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15213, USACarnegie Museum of Natural HistoryPittsburghUnited States of America
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, PortugalUniversidade do PortoVairãoPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, PortugalBIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIOVairãoPortugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021, 4169-007 Porto, PortugalDepartamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Diogo Parrinha
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, PortugalUniversidade do PortoVairãoPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, PortugalBIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIOVairãoPortugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021, 4169-007 Porto, PortugalDepartamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Manuel Lopes-Lima
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, PortugalUniversidade do PortoVairãoPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, PortugalBIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIOVairãoPortugal
| | - Arthur Tiutenko
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schlossplatz 4, 91054 Erlangen, GermanyFriedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergErlangenGermany
| | - Aaron M. Bauer
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, USAVillanova UniversityVillanovaUnited States of America
| | - Luis M. P. Ceríaco
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, PortugalUniversidade do PortoVairãoPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, PortugalBIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIOVairãoPortugal
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Museu Nacional, Departamento de Vertebrados, Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUniversidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroBrazil
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Courtenay AP, Moonlight PW, Toby Pennington R, Lehmann CER. Underground trees inhabit varied environmental extremes across the Afrotropics. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2024; 133:757-772. [PMID: 37642263 PMCID: PMC11082510 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Geoxyles, a distinctive feature of Afrotropical savannas and grasslands, survive recurrent disturbances by resprouting subshrub branches from large below-ground woody structures. Underground trees are a type of geoxyle that independently evolved within woody genera of at least 40 plant families in Africa. The environmental limits and determinants of underground tree biogeography are poorly understood, with the relative influence of frost and fire debated in particular. We aim to quantify variability in the niche of underground tree species relative to their taller, woody tree/shrub congeners. METHODS Using occurrence records of four Afrotropical genera, Parinari (Chrysobalanaceae), Ozoroa (Anacardiaceae), Syzygium (Myrtaceae) and Lannea (Anacardiaceae), and environmental data of nine climate and disturbance variables, the biogeography and niche of underground trees are compared with their open and closed ecosystem congeners. KEY RESULTS Along multiple environmental gradients and in a multidimensional environmental space, underground trees inhabit significantly distinct and extreme environments relative to open and closed ecosystem congeners. Niche overlap is low among underground trees and their congeners, and also among underground trees of the four genera. Of the study taxa, Parinari underground trees inhabit hotter, drier and more seasonal environments where herbivory pressure is greatest. Ozoroa underground trees occupy relatively more fire-prone environments, while Syzygium underground trees sustain the highest frost frequency and occur in relatively wetter conditions with seasonal waterlogging. Lannea underground trees are associated with the lowest temperatures, highest precipitation, and varying exposure to disturbance. CONCLUSIONS While underground trees exhibit repeated convergent evolution, varied environments shape the ecology and biogeography of this iconic plant functional group. The multiplicity of extreme environments related to fire, frost, herbivory and waterlogging that different underground tree taxa occupy, and the distinctiveness of these environments, should be recognized in the management of African grassy ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anya P Courtenay
- GeoSciences, Crew Building, The King’s Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, UK
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, UK
| | - Peter W Moonlight
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, UK
- Botany Department, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - R Toby Pennington
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, UK
- Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK
| | - Caroline E R Lehmann
- GeoSciences, Crew Building, The King’s Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, UK
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, UK
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Carruthers T, Moerland MS, Ebersbach J, Favre A, Folk RA, Hawkins JA, Muellner-Riehl AN, Röser M, Soltis DE, Tkach N, Baker WJ, de Vos JM, Eiserhardt WL. Repeated upslope biome shifts in Saxifraga during late-Cenozoic climate cooling. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1100. [PMID: 38321017 PMCID: PMC10847498 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45289-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Mountains are among the most biodiverse places on Earth, and plant lineages that inhabit them have some of the highest speciation rates ever recorded. Plant diversity within the alpine zone - the elevation above which trees cannot grow-contributes significantly to overall diversity within mountain systems, but the origins of alpine plant diversity are poorly understood. Here, we quantify the processes that generate alpine plant diversity and their changing dynamics through time in Saxifraga (Saxifragaceae), an angiosperm genus that occurs predominantly in mountain systems. We present a time-calibrated molecular phylogenetic tree for the genus that is inferred from 329 low-copy nuclear loci and incorporates 73% (407) of known species. We show that upslope biome shifts into the alpine zone are considerably more prevalent than dispersal of alpine specialists between regions, and that the rate of upslope biome shifts increased markedly in the last 5 Myr, a timeframe concordant with a cooling and fluctuating climate that is likely to have increased the extent of the alpine zone. Furthermore, alpine zone specialists have lower speciation rates than generalists that occur inside and outside the alpine zone, and major speciation rate increases within Saxifraga significantly pre-date increased rates of upslope biome shifts. Specialisation to the alpine zone is not therefore associated with speciation rate increases. Taken together, this study presents a quantified and broad scale perspective of processes underpinning alpine plant diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Carruthers
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
| | - Michelangelo S Moerland
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6EX, UK
| | - Jana Ebersbach
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Plant Systematics & Herbarium (LZ), Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Adrien Favre
- Regional Nature Park of the Trient Valley, la Place 24, 1922, Salvan, Switzerland
| | - Ryan A Folk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, 39762, USA
| | - Julie A Hawkins
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6EX, UK
| | - Alexandra N Muellner-Riehl
- Department of Molecular Evolution and Plant Systematics & Herbarium (LZ), Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Röser
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology, Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Dept. of Systematic Botany, Neuwerk 21, 06108, Halle, Germany
| | - Douglas E Soltis
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Natalia Tkach
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology, Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Dept. of Systematic Botany, Neuwerk 21, 06108, Halle, Germany
| | - William J Baker
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jurriaan M de Vos
- Department of Environmental Sciences-Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Wolf L Eiserhardt
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK.
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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5
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Shi BY, Pan D, Zhang KQ, Gu TY, Yeo DCJ, Ng PKL, Cumberlidge N, Sun HY. Diversification of freshwater crabs on the sky islands in the Hengduan Mountains Region, China. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 190:107955. [PMID: 37898294 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
The numerous naturally-fragmented sky islands (SIs) in the Hengduan Mountains Region (HMR) of southwestern China constitute discontinuous landscapes where montane habitats are isolated by dry-hot valleys which have fostered exceptional species diversification and endemicity. However, studies documenting the crucial role of SI on the speciation dynamics of native freshwater organisms are scarce. Here we used a novel set of comprehensive genetic markers (24 nuclear DNA sequences and complete mitogenomes), morphological characters, and biogeographical information to reveal the evolutionary history and speciation mechanisms of a group of small-bodied montane potamids in the genus Tenuipotamon. Our results provide a robustly supported phylogeny, and suggest that the vicariance events of these montane crabs correlate well with the emergence of SIs due to the uplift of the HMR during the Late Oligocene. Furthermore, ancestrally, mountain ridges provided corridors for the dispersal of these montane crabs that led to the colonization of moist montane-specific habitats, aided by past climatic conditions that were the crucial determinants of their evolutionary history. The present results illustrated that the mechanisms isolating SIs are reinforced by the harsh-dry isolating climatic features of dry-hot valleys separating SIs and continue to affect local diversification. This offers insights into the causes of the high biodiversity and endemism shown by the freshwater crabs of the HMR-SIs in southwestern China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Yang Shi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Da Pan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Kang-Qin Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Tian-Yu Gu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Darren C J Yeo
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Republic of Singapore; Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, 2 Conservatory Drive, Singapore 117377, Republic of Singapore
| | - Peter K L Ng
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, 2 Conservatory Drive, Singapore 117377, Republic of Singapore
| | - Neil Cumberlidge
- Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI 49855, USA
| | - Hong-Ying Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
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6
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Lyra ML, Kirchhof S, Goutte S, Kassie A, Boissinot S. Crossing the Rift valley: using complete mitogenomes to infer the diversification and biogeographic history of ethiopian highlands Ptychadena (anura: Ptychadenidae). Front Genet 2023; 14:1215715. [PMID: 37600664 PMCID: PMC10434514 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1215715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The Ethiopian Highlands are considered a biodiversity hotspot, harboring a high number of endemic species. Some of the endemic species probably diversified in situ; this is, for example, the case of a monophyletic clade containing 12 known species of grass frogs of the genus Ptychadena. The different species occur at elevations ranging from 1,500 to above 3,400 m and constitute excellent models to study the process of diversification in the highlands as well as adaptations to high elevations. In this study, we sampled 294 specimens across the distribution of this clade and used complete mitogenomes and genome-wide SNP data to better understand how landscape features influenced the population structure and dispersal of these grass frogs across time and space. Using phylogenetic inference, population structure analyses, and biogeographic reconstructions, we found that the species complex probably first diversified on the south-east side of the Great Rift Valley. Later on, species dispersed to the north-west side, where more recent diversification occurred. We further demonstrate that Ptychadena species have dispersed across the Great Rift Valley at different times. Our analyses allowed for a more complete understanding of the contribution of geological events, biogeographic barriers and climatic changes as drivers of species diversification and adaptation in this important biogeographic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. L. Lyra
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - S. Kirchhof
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - S. Goutte
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - A. Kassie
- Animal Biodiversity Directorate, Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Zoological Sciences, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - S. Boissinot
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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7
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Blanco-Gavaldà C, Galbany-Casals M, Susanna A, Andrés-Sánchez S, Bayer RJ, Brochmann C, Cron GV, Bergh NG, Garcia-Jacas N, Gizaw A, Kandziora M, Kolář F, López-Alvarado J, Leliaert F, Letsara R, Moreyra LD, Razafimandimbison SG, Schmickl R, Roquet C. Repeatedly Northwards and Upwards: Southern African Grasslands Fuel the Colonization of the African Sky Islands in Helichrysum (Compositae). PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12112213. [PMID: 37299192 DOI: 10.3390/plants12112213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Afromontane and Afroalpine areas constitute some of the main biodiversity hotspots of Africa. They are particularly rich in plant endemics, but the biogeographic origins and evolutionary processes leading to this outstanding diversity are poorly understood. We performed phylogenomic and biogeographic analyses of one of the most species-rich plant genera in these mountains, Helichrysum (Compositae-Gnaphalieae). Most previous studies have focused on Afroalpine elements of Eurasian origin, and the southern African origin of Helichrysum provides an interesting counterexample. We obtained a comprehensive nuclear dataset from 304 species (≈50% of the genus) using target-enrichment with the Compositae1061 probe set. Summary-coalescent and concatenation approaches combined with paralog recovery yielded congruent, well-resolved phylogenies. Ancestral range estimations revealed that Helichrysum originated in arid southern Africa, whereas the southern African grasslands were the source of most lineages that dispersed within and outside Africa. Colonization of the tropical Afromontane and Afroalpine areas occurred repeatedly throughout the Miocene-Pliocene. This timing coincides with mountain uplift and the onset of glacial cycles, which together may have facilitated both speciation and intermountain gene flow, contributing to the evolution of the Afroalpine flora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carme Blanco-Gavaldà
- Systematics and Evolution of Vascular Plants-Associated Unit to CSIC by IBB, Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, ES-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Mercè Galbany-Casals
- Systematics and Evolution of Vascular Plants-Associated Unit to CSIC by IBB, Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, ES-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Alfonso Susanna
- Botanic Institute of Barcelona (IBB), CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona, Pg. Migdia s/n, ES-08038 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Santiago Andrés-Sánchez
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology and Plant DNA Biobank, DNA National Bank, University of Salamanca, Edificio I+D+i, Espejo St., ES-37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Randall J Bayer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Biodiversity, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Christian Brochmann
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172, NO-0318 Oslo, Norway
| | - Glynis V Cron
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - Nicola G Bergh
- Foundational Biodiversity Science, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Newlands, Cape Town 7735, South Africa
| | - Núria Garcia-Jacas
- Botanic Institute of Barcelona (IBB), CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona, Pg. Migdia s/n, ES-08038 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Abel Gizaw
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172, NO-0318 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 3434, Ethiopia
| | - Martha Kandziora
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, CZ-12801 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Kolář
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, CZ-12801 Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-25243 Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Javier López-Alvarado
- Systematics and Evolution of Vascular Plants-Associated Unit to CSIC by IBB, Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, ES-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | | | - Rokiman Letsara
- Herbarium of the Parc Botanique et Zoologique of Tsimbazaza (PBZT), Antananarivo 3G9G+V6C, Madagascar
| | - Lucía D Moreyra
- Botanic Institute of Barcelona (IBB), CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona, Pg. Migdia s/n, ES-08038 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Roswitha Schmickl
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, CZ-12801 Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-25243 Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Cristina Roquet
- Systematics and Evolution of Vascular Plants-Associated Unit to CSIC by IBB, Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, ES-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
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8
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Fashing PJ, Nguyen N, Demissew S, Gizaw A, Atickem A, Mekonnen A, Nurmi NO, Kerby JT, Stenseth NC. Ecology, evolution, and conservation of Ethiopia's biodiversity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206635119. [PMID: 36490314 PMCID: PMC9897469 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206635119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ethiopia is home to one of the richest and most unique assemblages of fauna and flora on the African continent. Contained within its borders are two major centers of endemism, the mesic Roof of Africa (also known as the Ethiopian Highlands) and the arid Horn of Africa, resulting from the country's varied topography and consequent geographic isolation. These centers of endemism are crucial to global conservation as evidenced by their classification within the Eastern Afromontane and Horn of Africa biodiversity hotspots, respectively. Ethiopia's diverse ecosystems and the biodiversity they contain are increasingly threatened by climate change and the growing impacts of Africa's second largest human and largest livestock populations. In this paper, we focus on several key areas of recent and ongoing research on Ethiopian biodiversity that have broadened our understanding of nature and its conservation in Africa. Topics explored include the behavioral ecology of Ethiopia's large social mammals, the ecology and conservation of its unique coffee forests, and Ethiopian approaches to community conservation, fortress conservation, and nature-based solutions. We also highlight the increasing prominence of Ethiopian scientists in studies of the country's biodiversity in recent decades. We suggest promising avenues for future research in evolutionary biology, ecology, systematics, and conservation in Ethiopia and discuss how recent and ongoing work in Ethiopia is helping us better understand and conserve nature in the human-dominated landscapes of Africa and other tropical regions today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Fashing
- Division of Anthropology & Environmental Studies Program, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA92834
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo0371, Norway
| | - Nga Nguyen
- Division of Anthropology & Environmental Studies Program, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA92834
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo0371, Norway
| | - Sebsebe Demissew
- Department of Plant Biology & Biodiversity Management, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa1176, Ethiopia
| | - Abel Gizaw
- Department of Plant Biology & Biodiversity Management, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa1176, Ethiopia
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo0318, Norway
| | - Anagaw Atickem
- Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Addisu Mekonnen
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, ABT2N 1NFCanada
- Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar79, Ethiopia
| | - Niina O. Nurmi
- University of Eastern Finland Library, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu80101, Finland
| | - Jeffrey T. Kerby
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus8000, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus8000, Denmark
| | - Nils Chr. Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo0371, Norway
- Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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