Abstract Detail

Macroevolution

Ramadoss, Niveditha [1], McElwee-Adame, Alexandra [2], Gunther, Kyle [3], Parker, V. T. [4], Gonzalez Elizondo, Socorro [5], Litt, Amy [6], Flores-Renteria, Lluvia [7].

Phylogenetic relationships among members of the subfamily Arbutoideae (Ericaceae) inferred from genome-wide SNPs.

Arbutoideae is a subfamily in Ericaceae that comprises taxa mostly adapted to dry climates and diverse in their morphological traits. Six genera are commonly recognized - Arbutus, Arctostaphylos, Arctous, Comarostaphylis, Ornithostaphylos, and Xylococcus but their phylogenetic relationships have long been unclear. Moreover, in a previous study Arbutus was found to be paraphyletic with the North American taxa forming a clade separate from the European taxa. But this paraphyletic phylogeny was based on unreliable markers, low bootstrap values and polytomy. Thus, the goals of our project are to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of subfamily Arbutoideae and use it to understand the morphological diversity among the genera and test the monophyly of genus Arbutus. Phylogenetic relationships will be estimated using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian analyses of SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) data from the nuclear genome. The SNP data is generated by a next generation sequencing technique called DartSeq which allows the detection of a high number of informative SNPs across the genome. Preliminary results based on DAPC (Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components) show that the North American Arbutus is genetically distinct from European Arbutus. In addition, preliminary ML tree did not support the monophyly of Arbutus. This study will help resolve the taxonomic uncertainty of this subfamily thereby providing a better understanding of the evolutionary processes of these species.

1 - 6621 MONTEZUMA ROAD APT 207, 6621 MONTEZUMA ROAD APT 207, SAN DIEGO, CA, 92115, United States
2 - 5070 1/2 Niagara Ave, San Diego, CA, 92107, United States
3 - 21022 Los Alisos Blvd #1723, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, 92688, United States
4 - San Francisco State University, Department Of Biology, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94132, United States
5 - Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR, , Sigma 119, Durango, 34234 México
6 - University Of California, Riverside, Botany And Plant Sciences, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States
7 - San Diego State University, 4319 Yale Ave, San Diego State University, La Mesa, CA, 91942, United States

Keywords:
Arbutoideae  
Ericaceae  
phylogenetics
monophyly.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: MACROI, Macroevolution I
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Tuesday, July 20th, 2021
Time: 1:15 PM(EDT)
Number: MACROI004
Abstract ID:155
Candidate for Awards:None