Global advances in phylogeny, taxonomy and biogeography of Lauraceae

• Published in: Plant diversity Vol. 47; no. 3; pp. 341 - 364
• Main Authors: Li (李朗), Lang, Liu (刘冰), Bing, Song (宋钰), Yu, Meng (孟宏虎), Hong-Hu, Ci (慈秀芹), Xiu-Qin, Conran, John G., de Kok, Rogier P.J., de Moraes, Pedro Luís Rodrigues, Ye (叶俊伟), Jun-Wei, Tan (谭运洪), Yun-Hong, Liu (刘志芳), Zhi-Fang, van der Merwe, Marlien, van der Werff, Henk, Yang (杨永), Yong, Rohwer, Jens G., Li (李捷), Jie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China Elsevier B.V 01.05.2025; Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Subjects: Africa; Biogeography; Cenozoic era; East Asia; family; flora; fossils; genome; genomics; geographical distribution; Late Cretaceous epoch; Lauraceae; Madagascar; Phylogenomics; Phylogeny; phylogeography; Review; species diversity; Taxonomy; East Asia; Madagascar; Africa; Biogeography; Phylogeny; Lauraceae; Taxonomy; Phylogenomics
• ISSN: 2468-2659; 2096-2703; 2468-2659
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2025.04.001

Over the past two decades, our understanding of Lauraceae, a large family of woody plants, has undergone significant advances in phylogeny, taxonomy, and biogeography. Molecular systematic studies have elucidated the basic relationships within the family with plastid phylogenomic analyses providing robust support for deep-level relationships between Lauraceae lineages, leading to the recognition of nine tribes: Hypodaphnideae, Cryptocaryeae, Cassytheae, Neocinnamomeae, Caryodaphnopsideae, Mezilaureae, Perseeae, Laureae, and Cinnamomeae, with Mezilaureae validated here. Nuclear genomes and comparative genomics studies have also clarified aspects of the family’s evolutionary history and metabolic diversity. Taxonomic studies have focused mainly on the most diverse regions, e.g., tropical Asia, tropical America, and Africa (Madagascar), with six new genera described and five reinstated since the last major overview of the family. The extensive fossil record suggests that Lauraceae diversified globally during the Late Cretaceous and Early Cenozoic. Biogeographic studies indicate that different lineages of the family are sorted into Gondwanan and Laurasian lineages, with patterns resulting from the disruption of boreotropical flora and multiple long-distance dispersal events. Phylogeographic studies, predominantly from East Asia, have shown patterns of in situ survival and demographic stability or expansion during the Quaternary. Nevertheless, many systematic relationships within the family remain unresolved and further research is needed into the complex biogeographic history and ecological roles of Lauraceae. A multifaceted approach integrating genomic studies, field work, morphological and ecological investigations is therefore needed to understand the evolution and diversity of this ecologically and economically significant plant family. •Research on Lauraceae has led to significant advances in phylogeny, taxonomy, and biogeography in the past two decades.•Phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data indicate that Lauraceae consists of nine tribes.•Much progress has also been made in taxonomic studies, mainly focusing on the most diverse regions of the family.•Lauraceae distribution is attributed to the disruption of boreotropical flora and multiple long-distance dispersal events.•Plastid and nuclear genomes offer valuable information about the evolutionary history of the family.