Phylogenetic relationships of Brazilian Mikania species (Asteraceae, Eupatorieae) based on multilocus DNA markers

• Published in: Botanical journal of the Linnean Society Vol. 184; no. 3; pp. 326 - 346
• Main Authors: Godoy, Sara Mataroli De, Silva, João Fernando Marques Da, Paula, Gabriela Barbosa Navarro De, Ruas, Paulo Maurício, Góes, Bruna Delgado, Ruas, Claudete De Fátima
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: UK Oxford University Press 01.07.2017
• Subjects: Amplified fragment length polymorphism; Asteraceae; Bayesian analysis; Climate change; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Divergence; DNA; Markers; Mikania; Miocene; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Pleistocene; Species; Statistical inference; Brazil; rDNA; non-monophyletic origin; Mikaniinae; plastid rps16; AFLP; divergence time estimates
• ISSN: 0024-4074; 1095-8339
• DOI: 10.1093/botlinnean/box030

Abstract Mikania (Eupatorieae, Asteraceae), with a pantropical distribution, has a highly defined and constant set of floral characters leading to its treatment as the sole representative of subtribe Mikaniinae. Several infrageneric classifications have been proposed for the genus, the last carried out in Brazil, where c. 204 species, mostly distributed in the Atlantic Forest domain, have been described. Studies of Mikania are scarce and, when available, the focus is only on species description. Reports on phylogenetic analysis of the genus are lacking. Here we used AFLP markers, nuclear (ITS and ETS) and plastid (rps16 intron) sequences to investigate the phylogenetic relationships of a group of species representing the taxonomic sections proposed for Brazilian Mikania spp. Analysis based on Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood showed no support for the proposed infrageneric classification based on morphological characters. Nonetheless, molecular data revealed the existence of two evolutionary lineages for the genus. Mikania micrantha was shown to be non-monophyletic. Divergence time estimation suggested the emergence of two main evolutionary lineages c. 6.0 My, during the Miocene. However, the processes of species diversification may have intensified due to climate change during the Pleistocene.