Character Evolution
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Recent papers in Character Evolution
Phylogenetic mixture models are statistical models of character evolution allowing for heterogeneity. Each of the classes in some unknown partition of the characters may evolve by different processes, or even along different trees. The... more
Previous phylogenetic attempts at resolving barnacle evolutionary relationships are few and have relied on limited taxon sampling. Here we combine DNA sequences from three nuclear genes (18S, 28S and H3) and 44 morphological characters... more
The Resedaceae, containing 6 genera and ca. 85 species, are widely distributed in the Old World, with a major center of species diversity in the Mediterranean basin. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS and plastid trnL-trnF sequences of 66... more
Long-held ideas regarding the evolutionary relationships among animals have recently been upended by sometimes controversial hypotheses based largely on insights from molecular data 1,2 . These new hypotheses include a clade of moulting... more
To better understand the evolutionary history of the genus Centaurium and its relationship to other genera of the subtribe Chironiinae (Gentianaceae: Chironieae), molecular analyses were performed using 80 nuclear ribosomal ITS and 76... more
Phylogenetic relationships of the monocot family Hypoxidaceae (Asparagales), which occurs mainly in the Southern Hemisphere, were reconstructed using four plastid DNA regions (rbcL, trnL intron, trnL-F intergenic spacer, and trnS-G... more
Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of non-coding plastid DNA sequence data based on a broad sampling of all major Asian Begonia sections (ndhA intron, ndhF-rpl32 spacer, rpl32-trnL spacer, 3977 aligned characters, 84 species) were... more
A molecular phylogeny of combined mtSSU, nuLSU, and RPB2 data revealed previously unrecognized levels of parallel evolution and phenotypic divergence in the lichen family Graphidaceae. Five clades were supported within the family: the... more
The Alpheidae-possibly the most diverse family of recent decapod crustaceans-offers attractive opportunities to study the evolution of many intriguing phenomena, including key morphological innovations like spectacular snapping claws,... more
The phylogeny of a number of diverse, tropical Australian lineages has been studied recently to lay the groundwork for biogeographic analyses. As part of this effort, we present here a cladistic analysis of the Australasian Coelometopini... more
Portulaca is the only genus in Portulacaceae and includes ca. 100 species with worldwide distribution. Inflorescence types in Portulaca have been used as an important character in infrageneric classifications and it has been suggested... more
Recent phylogenetic studies have provided compelling evidence that confirms the once disputed hypothesis of monophyly for heterosporous leptosporangiate ferns (Marsileaceae and Salviniaceae). Hypotheses for relationships among the three... more
Rare and enigmatic genera (Dunnia, Schizocolea, Colletoecema), sisters to species-rich clades: Phylogeny and aspects of conservation biology in the coffee family a b s t r a c t Despite extensive efforts, parts of the phylogeny of the... more
The Diervilla and Lonicera clades are members of the family Caprifoliaceae (Dipsacales sensu Donoghue et al., 2001, Harvard Papers in Botany 6: 459-479). So far, the intergeneric relationships of the Lonicera clade and the systematic... more
A phylogeny of blue butterflies of the genus Maculinea and related genera (Lycaenidae) is proposed, based on 91 morphological and ecological characters. The resulting tree shows that: (1) Phengaris is a derived group nested within... more
Background: False truffles are ecologically important as mycorrhizal partners of trees and evolutionarily highly interesting as the result of a shift from epigeous mushroom-like to underground fruiting bodies. Since its first description... more
The about 31 species of Fosterella L.B. Sm. (Bromeliaceae) are terrestrial herbs with a centre of diversity in the central South American Andes. To resolve infra-and intergeneric relationships among Fosterella and their putative allies,... more
Pycnogonids or sea spiders are a group of marine arthropods whose relations to the chelicerates have been an issue of controversy. Higher-level phylogenetic relationships among the lineages of sea spiders are investigated using 36... more
This is the first phylogenetic analysis of Clitellata using 18S rDNA in combination with morphological data of a selection of species representing Hirudinida, Acanthobdellida, Branchiobdellida, and eight oligochaetous families. The... more
The field of ecomorphology has a long history with early roots in Europe. In this half of the century the application of ecomorphology to the biology of fishes has developed in the former Soviet Union, Poland and Czechoslovakia, The... more
Cladistic analyses of plastid DNA sequences rbcL and trnL-F are presented separately and combined for 48 genera of Amaryllidaceae and 29 genera of related asparagalean families. The combined analysis is the most highly resolved of the... more
This article provides the first molecular phylogenetic study of the enigmatic invertebrate phylum Entoprocta and was designed to resolve the internal phylogenetic relationships of the taxon. The study is based on partial and combined... more
The orchid genus Maxillaria is one of the largest and most common of neotropical orchid genera, but its current generic boundaries and relationships have long been regarded as artificial. Phylogenetic relationships within subtribe... more
Many genera previously placed in the traditionally circumscribed Capparaceae are either unrelated or, more commonly, isolated lineages in the order Brassicales. This study examines the relationships of three of these orphan genera,... more
It is widely recognized that macroecological patterns are not independent of the evolution of the lineages involved in generating these patterns. While many researchers have begun to evaluate the effect of ancestordescendant relationships... more
The orchid genus Maxillaria is one of the largest and most common of neotropical orchid genera, but its current generic boundaries and relationships have long been regarded as artificial. Phylogenetic relationships within subtribe... more
Why does a trait evolve repeatedly within a clade? When examining the evolution of a trait, evolutionary biologists typically focus on the selective advantages it may confer and the genetic and developmental mechanisms that allow it to... more
We examined the effect of soft polytomies on the performance (Type I error rate and bias) of Am. Nat. 125:1-15) method of phylogenetically independent contrasts for estimating a bivariate correlation. We speci cally tested the adequacy of... more
It has proven remarkably diYcult to obtain a well-resolved and strongly supported phylogeny for horned lizards (Phrynosoma) because of incongruence between morphological and mitochondrial DNA sequence data. We infer the phylogenetic... more
Parmelioid lichens comprise about 1500 species and have a worldwide distribution. Numerous species are widely distributed and well known, including important bioindicators for atmospheric pollution. The phylogeny and classiWcation of... more
Historical relationships were inferred for the oriental lizards of the genus Takydromus Daudin 1802 (Lacertidae) on the basis of DNA sequences. Of the 17 species currently recognized for the genus, 13 species represented by 42 specimens... more
Keywords: Ebenaceae phylogeny palynology Bayesian inference principle component analysis This study examines the diversity and character transformations in pollen and orbicule morphology of Ebenaceae, with a focus on subfamily Ebenoideae... more
Phylogenetic reconstructions in the Mediterranean genus Erodium are for the first time performed using two matrices: one with 96 trnL-trnF sequences from Erodium (90 accessions plus four outgroups) and the other with 72 trnL-trnF... more
The Resedaceae, containing 6 genera and ca. 85 species, are widely distributed in the Old World, with a major center of species diversity in the Mediterranean basin. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS and plastid trnL-trnF sequences of 66... more
Equisetum is a small and morphologically distinct genus with a rich fossil record. Two subgenera have been recognized based principally on stomatal position and stem branching: subg. Equisetum (eight species; superficial stomates; stems... more