| Abstract Detail
Pteridological Section/AFS Schuettpelz, Eric [1], Schneider, Harald [2], Huiet, Layne [3], Windham, Michael D. [1], Pryer, Kathleen M. [1]. A molecular phylogeny of pteroid ferns: rampant paraphyly and polyphyly revealed. The pteroid clade accounts for roughly 10% of extant fern diversity, and includes species that occupy an unusually broad range of ecological niches. To date, molecular phylogenetic studies have focused primarily on a few pteroid segregates. Here, we present the results of the first broad-scale and multi-gene analyses of these ferns. Our results reveal rampant paraphyly and polyphyly within pteroids, at a variety of levels, and emphasize the need to reevaluate existing taxonomic concepts within this clade. Interestingly, some of the major lineages resolved in our analyses can be characterized by their habitat preferences, suggesting that the initial diversification of pteroid ferns was tied to ecological innovation and specialization.
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1 - Duke University, Department of Biology, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
2 - Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
3 - University of California, University Herbarium, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
Keywords:
ferns
molecular phylogenetics
Pteridaceae
Vittariaceae.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: CP08
Location: Lake Michigan/Hilton
Date: Monday, July 9th, 2007
Time: 10:45 AM
Number: CP08006
Abstract ID:1604 |
