Phylogenomic and morphological data reveal hidden patterns of diversity in the national tree of Brazil, Paubrasilia echinata

Mathew Rees; Linda Neaves; Gwilym P Lewis; Haroldo C de Lima; Edeline Gagnon

doi:10.1002/ajb2.16241

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Phylogenomic and morphological data reveal hidden patterns of diversity in the national tree of Brazil, Paubrasilia echinata

Journal article

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Phylogenomic and morphological data reveal hidden patterns of diversity in the national tree of Brazil, Paubrasilia echinata

Mathew Rees, Linda Neaves, Gwilym P Lewis, Haroldo C de Lima and Edeline Gagnon

American journal of botany, Vol.110(11), e16241

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16241

PMID: 37672601

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Abstract

Brazil

Caesalpinia - genetics

Forests

Geography

Phylogeny

Plant and fungus systematics and taxonomy

Terrestrial systems and management

Premise Paubrasilia echinata (common names, pau brasil, brazilwood) is the national tree of Brazil and an endangered species endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Over its wide distribution of 2000 km, its leaflets morphology exhibits extensive plasticity. Three morphotypes are commonly identified based on leaf size, but it is unclear if they represent distinct taxa or a single polymorphic species. This study aims to clarify the taxonomic position of the three morphotypes to inform conservation decisions. Methods A morphometric study of leaf characters of herbarium specimens was coupled with genetic analyses using genotype-by-sequencing data. We used maximum-likelihood and coalescent methods to evaluate the phylogenetic and population structure of the species. We compared these with a morphological dendrogram built from hierarchical clustering. Results Two of the three morphotypes formed separately evolving lineages, the third morphotype formed two geographically separate lineages, and northern trees with intermediate leaf morphology formed a separate fifth lineage. Leaflet size varied by over 35-fold, and although morphological clustering generally matched the genetic patterns, there were some overlaps, highlighting the cryptic diversity within this group. Conclusions Our genetic and morphological results provide some evidence that cultivated trees from different states in Brazil seem to have a limited genetic origin and do not reflect the broader genetic and geographical diversity of the species. As a result, more care is likely needed to preserve the overall genomic diversity of this endangered and iconic species.

Details

Title: Phylogenomic and morphological data reveal hidden patterns of diversity in the national tree of Brazil, Paubrasilia echinata
Authors/Creators: Mathew Rees (Author) - University of Edinburgh
Linda Neaves (Author) - Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Gwilym P Lewis (Author) - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Haroldo C de Lima (Author) - Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro
Edeline Gagnon (Author) - Technical University of Munich
Publication Details: American journal of botany, Vol.110(11), e16241
Publisher: Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Botanical Society of America.
Number of pages: 14
Identifiers: 991005794672507891
Murdoch Affiliation: Murdoch University
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.64 Phylogenetics & Genomics; 3.64.71 Genetic Diversity
Web Of Science research areas: Plant Sciences
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science