New insight into the phylogenetic and biogeographic history of genus Ficus: Vicariance played a relatively minor role compared with ecological opportunity and dispersal

Abstract

Studies on the evolution of tropical taxa emphasize the role of vicariance and the break‐up of Gondwana in explaining modern distributions. Earlier studies on figs (Ficus spp.) support this view. In the current study, we used an expanded sample (208 spp.) and improved molecular dating techniques to reconstruct the phylogenetic and biogeographic history of Ficus. Consistent with previous studies, our biogeographic analysis indicated that the ancestor of Ficus was present in Gondwana. However, a relaxed clock analysis relying on uncorrelated rates in BEAST suggested that the Neotropical section Pharmacosycea split‐off in South America 86.67 Mya, and that other Ficus lineage ancestors originated in India. Most of the basal lineages appeared to have diverged following KT extinction, then rapidly diversified after India collided with continental Asia. The Afrotropical species most likely evolved initially in the Indian subcontinent then dispersed to Africa, either in the late Cretaceous of Madagascar or even later, following the Eocene collision of India with Asia. The Neotropical section Americana, either island‐hopped to South America or took a northern route to the Americas through Europe prior to the terminal Eocene global cooling event. Ficus may have arrived in eastern Malesia following the collision of India with Asia, then widely dispersed thereafter. Given the wide ranges in our date estimates, several other scenarios are possible. However, contrary to earlier reports, our analyses suggest that vicariance played a relatively minor role compared with ecological opportunity and dispersal in the diversification of genus Ficus.

A New Classification of Ficus Subsection Urostigma (Moraceae) Based on Four Nuclear DNA Markers (ITS, ETS, G3pdh, and ncpGS), Morphology and Leaf Anatomy

“…Urostigma and included African species, only recognising two subsections, Urostigma and Conosycea , and no series. Berg’s classification compares well with ours and previous work [1,2,3,15] results of two clades, which cannot easily be subdivided into recognisable subgroups (low support for most branches and no distinct character combinations in Fig 3). Berg included F .…”

“…Urostigma s.s. excluding former sect. Leucogyne [1,2,3,15]. Unfortunately the extraction of DNA from F .…”

Parasitodiplogaster salicifoliae n. sp. (Nematoda: Diplogastridae) from Ficus ingens and F. salicifolia in South Africa

“…The section Urostigma split off ca 65 Mya and radiated 36 Mya from Africa to Australia (Xu et al, 2011). Platyscapa pollinating wasps are solely confined to figs of the subsections Conosycea and Urostigma of the Ficus section Urostigma.…”

Pollinator sharing and gene flow among closely related sympatric dioecious fig taxa

“…Each individual would be assigned as an immigrant from a specific population, a non-migrant, or an offspring of immigrant and non-migrant (hybrids) based on its genotype. [26,37] and morphological classification [34]. The procedure herein follows that in Xu et al's work [37].…”

“…[26,37] and morphological classification [34]. The procedure herein follows that in Xu et al's work [37].…”