Abstract Detail

Macroevolution

Humphreys, Emily [1], Edwards, Caroline [2], Last, Noah [1], Tasca, Julia A. [3], Brunner, Anna [4], Mikenas, Jessica [5], Henzler-Lhasawa, Chamden [1], Douglas, Norman [6], Flores, Hilda [7], Ochoterena, Helga [8], Hernández-Ledesma, Patricia [9], Nosratinia, Sonia [10], LoPresti, Eric [11], Weber, Marjorie [12], Thulin, Mats [13], Petersen, Gitte [14], Friis, Ib [15], Smith, Stephen [16], Moore, Michael [17].

Rocks, climate, substrate, shoots: reconstructing the history of soil and climate preference in the four o’clock tribe (Nyctaginaceae tribe Nyctagineae).

Ever increasing phylogenetic resolution across the tree of life has allowed for a deeper understanding of how niches evolve in the face of changing global conditions. Still, many questions persist. In angiosperms, the relationship between broad patterns of niche evolution and edaphic endemism remains underexplored and bioclimatic and substate niche evolution are rarely examined in conjunction. Known for its multiple independent origins of gypsum endemism (CaSO₄·2H₂O), Nyctaginaceae tribe Nyctagineae serves as a useful model for investigating niche diversification in edaphic endemics. Comprising almost 200 species, Nyctagineae has a clear center of diversity in North America's arid and semi-arid regions, but members are found on every continent except Antarctica and occupy a wide variety of climatic and soil niches. To solidify our understanding of the relationships in the tribe, we estimated Nyctagineae phylogeny using nuclear ITS and plastid ndhF/rpl32 and rpl32/trnL spacer sequences. The inclusion of 155 and 148 species respectively allowed us to reconstruct the history of climate and substrate preference in Nyctagineae with greater resolution than previously possible. To do this, we downloaded and manually curated occurrence data for Nyctagineae, and used these occurrences to create niche models of 19 bioclimatic and 11 substrate variables. Through ancestral state reconstruction, we found that the most recent common ancestor of the tribe likely grew in a subtropical, semi-arid environment, and then radiated into primarily arid and semi-arid environments with both warmer and cooler temperature niches. We also uncovered two clades adapted to high pH soils, each containing several gypsum endemic taxa. As gypsum deposits are usually slightly basic and found in regions with little rainfall, our results indicate a degree of preadaptation may have predisposed Nyctagineae for success on this unique substrate. As a complement to the growing body of research exploring the molecular physiology of gypsophile plants, our work provides a broad view of niche evolution and highlights the wide array of evolutionary tolerances that converge to support edaphic specialization.

Related Links:
Evolution of Chihuahuan Desert Gypsum Endemics

1 - Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States
2 - Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology, 612 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
3 - Stanford University, Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering, 475 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
4 - Healing our Waters - Great Lakes Coalition, 213 West Liberty St., Suit 200, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
5 - USGS Canyonlands Research Station, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2290 S West Resource Blvd, Moab, UT, 84532, United States
6 - University Of Florida, Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
7 - Instituto de Biologia UNAM, Botanica, Apto. Postal 70-367, Coyoacan, DF, 04510, Mexico
8 - Instituto De Biología, UNAM, Botanica, Depto Botánica-Apdo.Postal 70-367, Coyoacan, Mexico DF, 04510, Mexico
9 - INECOL, Centro Regional del Bajio, Pa�tzcuaro, Michoaca�n, Mexico
10 - University of California, Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology, 3040 Valley Life Sciences Building #3140, Berkeley, CA, 97720, USA
11 - Oklahoma State University, Plant Biology, Ecology And Evolution, 302 Physical Sciences, Stillwater, OK, 74078, United States
12 - Michigan State University, Plant Biology Laboratories, 612 Wilson Road, Rm 166, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
13 - Uppsala University, Department of Organismal Biology, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36 , Uppsala, 75236, Sweden
14 - Stockholm University, Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP), 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
15 - University of Copenhagen, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Oster Farimagsgade 2b, Copenhagen, 1353, Denmark
16 - 1105 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States
17 - Oberlin College, Department of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States

Keywords:
Nyctaginaceae
Mirabilis
Commicarpus
Abronia
Boerhavia
Acleisanthes
Gypsophile
Gypsum
edaphic endemism
climate niche
edaphic niche.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: MACROII, Macroevolution II
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Thursday, July 22nd, 2021
Time: 1:00 PM(EDT)
Number: MACROII003
Abstract ID:527
Candidate for Awards:None