Origin and evolution of Chrysobalanaceae: insights into the evolution of plants in the Neotropics

Abstract

Some plant families show a striking imbalance in species diversity between the Neotropics and the Palaeotropics. The woody plant family Chrysobalanaceae is a typical example of this pattern, with 80% of the 531 species in the Neotropics. In order to test alternative interpretations for this pattern, we generated a dated phylogenetic hypothesis for Chrysobalanaceae, using DNA sequence data from one nuclear and six plastid markers. Using a maximum likelihood approach, we jointly inferred ancestral areas and diversification rates in the Neotropics and Palaeotropics. We found that Chrysobalanaceae most probably originated in the Palaeotropics about 80 Mya. The family dispersed into the Neotropics at least four times beginning 40–60 Mya, with at least one back‐dispersal to the Palaeotropics. Members of Chrysobalanaceae have experienced higher extinction, speciation and net diversification rates in the Neotropics. Hence, the high species diversity of Chrysobalanaceae in the Neotropics appears to be primarily caused by a higher speciation rate in this region. Several recent studies have shown high diversification rates in Neotropical plant families, but have focused on Andean‐centred taxa. Ours is the first study to find a similar pattern in a family for which the centre of diversity is in eastern and central Amazonia. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, ••, ••–••.

Phylogenetic insights into Andean plant diversification

“…However, divergence times for this group (∼40 Ma; Becerra et al, 2012) seem to predate Andean uplift. In the family Chrysobalanaceae, the lowland Amazon genera Hirtella and Couepia diversified during the Middle Miocene (∼12 Ma; Bardon et al, 2013), but their diversification was probably not causally linked to Andean uplift. In fact Amazonian lowland taxa in general are a mixture of old and young lineages, with ages ranging from 40 to 5.6 Ma in the analysis of Hoorn et al (2010) and the data currently available do not paint a clear picture as to the overall importance of Andean uplift for Amazonian diversifications.…”

On the Monophyly ofMacrolobiumSchreb., an Ecologically Diverse Neotropical Tree Genus (Fabaceae-Detarioideae)

“…In fact, section Macrolobium contains approximately half of the entire Brownea clade's species (Mackinder 2005). Diversification has been found to have little to do with Andean orogeny in the Chrysobalanaceae (Bardon et al 2013) despite its importance for many other Neotropical lineages, and this may also be the case for Macrolobium.…”

Resurrection of <I>Angelesia</I>, a Southeast Asian genus of <I>Chrysobalanaceae</I>

“…Furthermore, the current circumscription of Neotropical Licania must be re-evaluated in light of molecular phylogenetic studies. Evidence of a polyphyletic genus is emerging, with species appearing in 3-4 well-supported clades (Sothers 2010, Bardon et al 2013, Sothers et al 2014. The resurrection of Angelesia proposed here establishes Licania as an exclusively Neotropical genus and Angelesia as a species-poor and widely distributed endemic Southeast Asian genus.…”

“…In two molecular analyses (Sothers 2010, Bardon et al 2013, Angelesia splendens (as Licania splendens) appears in a separate lineage altogether from American species of Licania. Affinities of Angelesia appear to lie both with New world genera, such as Acioa and Exellodendron, as well as the Old world genus Hunga (Sothers 2010, Bardon et al 2013 and unpublished results by Sothers). Future studies should establish and clarify the relationships of Angelesia with other genera.…”

“…Prance, L. fusicarpa (Kosterm.) Prance and L. palawanensis Prance, to Angelesia based on molecular evidence (Sothers 2010, Bardon et al 2013). These results are also supported by discrete morphological characters which differentiate Angelesia from its previous Neotropical congeners.…”