Molecular evolution, phylogenetics and biogeography in southern hemispheric bryophytes with special focus on Chilean taxa

• Main Author: Blöcher, Rolf
• Other Authors: Frahm, Jan-Peter, Barthlott, Wilhelm
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Bonn 2005
• Subjects: Laubmoos; Evolution; Regenwald; gemäßigte Breiten; Chile; Südamerika; Afrika; Australien; Neuseeland; Molekulare Marker; Chloroplast; Biogeographie; Kladistik; DNA; Patagonien; Gondwana; Molecular evolution; phylogenetics; cladistics; biogeography; southern hemisphere; bryophyte; Musci; bryophyta; bryopsida; Lepyrodon; Catagonium; Acrocladium; pleurocarpous mosses; southern temperate rainforest; Patagonia; valdivian rainforest; New Zealand; South America; Tasmania; southeast Australia; Australasia; Africa; Antarctic; subantarctic islands; vicariance; long distance dispersal; internal transcribed spacer; ITS; adenosine kinase; adk gene; chloroplast DNA; nrDNA; Austral; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/2125

Researchers have long been fascinated by disjunct distribution patterns of plant and animal species. Especially the disjunctly distributed species occurring in the temperate Chilean and New Zealand rainforests of the southern hemisphere are considered interesting due to the common history these locations share. These areas were originally part of the former Gondwana landmass. There are also moss species from temperate forest habitats revealing such a disjunct distribution. The native moss flora of Chile comprises about 780 species. According to a study on the Chilean and New Zealand mosses 113 of these 780 species reveal a disjunct austral distribution pattern and also occur in New Zealand. The majority of the species common to both countries are inhabitants of temperate rainforests. This study investigates phylogenetic relationships within four southern hemispheric bryophyte taxa characteristic for the Chilean and New Zealand temperate rainforests. These taxa consisted of the families Lepyrodontaceae and Ptychomniaceae as well as the genera Acrocladium and Catagonium. The results are discussed within the context of historical and geological processes in order to test the hypothesis whether the distribution patterns can be attributed to a common Gondwanan origin or to long distance dispersal as an alternative explanation. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using molecular markers from nrDNA (ITS region, adk gene) and cpDNA (trnL-trnF region, rps4 gene) were conducted for a large number of specimens representing the taxa under study. Most of these specimens originated from the BryoAustral and the BryoTrop projects. The resulting molecular data set was used to reconstruct phylogenies. Additionally, genetic distances were determined to compliment the phylogenetic results. Firstly, phylogenetic relationships within the Ptychomniaceae and within a taxa group consisting of the Plagiotheciaceae, Lepyrodontaceae and related taxa were investigated. For this purpose phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequence data were ...