Converging forms: an examination of sub-Arctic, circumarctic, and Central Asian Ranunculus auricomus agg. populations

作者：John Paul Bradican, Salvatore Tomasello, Judith Vollmer, Elvira Hörandl · 发表于：Frontiers in Plant Science · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.3389/fpls.2024.1415059 · 被引用次数：11 · 研究领域：Plant Taxonomy and Phylogenetics、Botany and Plant Ecology Studies、Tree-ring climate responses

Introduction Phenotypic complexity in species complexes and recently radiated lineages has resulted in a diversity of forms that have historically been classified into separate taxa. Increasingly, with the proliferation of high-throughput sequencing methods, additional layers of complexity have been recognized, such as frequent hybridization and reticulation, which may call into question the previous morphological groupings of closely related organisms. Methods We investigated Northern European, Asian, and Beringian populations of Ranunculus auricomus agg. with phylogenomic analysis of 736 genes and 27,586 SNPs in order to deduce the interrelatedness and hybrid origin of this phenotypically and taxonomically complicated group from Europe characterized by a history of hybridization, polyploidy, apomixis, and recent radiation. The ploidy levels and the reproductive mode of the Northern European populations were assessed via flow cytometric seed screening. In addition, in order to examine the phenotypic plasticity of the dwarf forms previously described as species and summarized as the Ranunculus monophyllus group, we conducted climate chamber experiments under cold (northern) and warm (temperate) conditions. Results The Northern European populations are tetra- to hexaploid and propagate primarily through apomixis. The complex is characterized by highly reticulate relationships. Genetic differentiation of the main clusters has occurred between the above-mentioned geographical re...