The Evolutionary History of New Zealand Is Marked by Long-Distance Dispersal, Endemism, and Hybridization.

The contrasting evolutionary histories of endemic versus related cosmopolitan species provide avenues to understand the spatial drivers and limitations of biodiversity. Here, we investigated the evolutionary history of three New Zealand endemic species, and how they are related to cosmopolitan . We used RADseq to test species delimitations, infer a dated species tree, and investigate gene flow patterns between the New Zealand endemics and the populations of New Zealand, Australia and Korea.

Chromosomal Differentiation of (Poaceae) Based on Four Satellite DNA Families.

Diverse families of satellite DNA (satDNA) were detected in heterochromatin regions of . This kind of repetitive DNA consists of tandem repeat sequences forming big arrays in genomes, and can contribute to lineages differentiation. The differentiation between types of satDNA is related to their sequence identity, the size and number of monomers forming the array, and their chromosomal location.

The genus and the epithet " ".

The epithet "" has been recurrently used in the genus to name plants located in northern regions of Europe, Asia and North America, as a species ( (L.) Roem. & Schult.

Unveiling new sequestrate Cortinarius species from northern Patagonian Nothofagaceae forests based on molecular and morphological data.

Because of systematic sampling campaigns in the northern Patagonian Nothofagaceae forests of Argentina, several specimens of sequestrate fungi were collected. Some of those collections showed phylogenetic affinities and morphological similarities to members of the formerly recognized sequestrate genus Thaxterogaster, currently a synonym of Cortinarius on the basis of molecular data. Comparisons of macro- and micromorphological features and sequences of nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions have revealed that these collections belong to formerly undescribed species.

The Plastid Genome of Deschampsia cespitosa (Poaceae).

Plastid genome analysis of non-model organisms provides valuable information for basic research e.g., molecular evolutionary genomics, phylogeny and phylogeography.

Munroa argentina, a Grass of the South American Transition Zone, Survived the Andean Uplift, Aridification and Glaciations of the Quaternary.

The South American Transition Zone (SATZ) is a biogeographic area in which not only orogeny (Andes uplift) and climate events (aridification) since the mid-Miocene, but also Quaternary glaciation cycles had an important impact on the evolutionary history of the local flora. To study this effect, we selected Munroa argentina, an annual grass distributed in the biogeographic provinces of Puna, Prepuna and Monte. We collected 152 individuals from 20 localities throughout the species' range, ran genetic and demographic analyses, and applied ecological niche modeling.

Plant endemism in the Sierras of Córdoba and San Luis (Argentina): understanding links between phylogeny and regional biogeographical patterns.

We compiled a checklist with all known endemic plants occurring in the Sierras of Córdoba and San Luis, an isolated mountainous range located in central Argentina. In order to obtain a better understanding of the evolutionary history, relationships and age of the regional flora, we gathered basic information on the biogeographical and floristic affinities of the endemics, and documented the inclusion of each taxon in molecular phylogenies. We listed 89 taxa (including 69 species and 20 infraspecific taxa) belonging to 53 genera and 29 families.

Molecular phylogeny of Gymnocalycium (Cactaceae): assessment of alternative infrageneric systems, a new subgenus, and trends in the evolution of the genus.

Premise Of The Study: The South American genus Gymnocalycium (Cactoideae-Trichocereae) demonstrates how the sole use of morphological data in Cactaceae results in conflicts in assessing phylogeny, constructing a taxonomic system, and analyzing trends in the evolution of the genus.

Methods: Molecular phylogenetic analysis was performed using parsimony and Bayesian methods on a 6195-bp data matrix of plastid DNA sequences (atpI-atpH, petL-psbE, trnK-matK, trnT-trnL-trnF) of 78 samples, including 52 species and infraspecific taxa representing all the subgenera of Gymnocalycium. We assessed morphological character evolution using likelihood methods to optimize characters on a Bayesian tree and to reconstruct possible ancestral states.

A morphological and molecular study in the Deschampsia cespitosa complex (Poaceae; Poeae; Airinae) in northern North America.

Premise Of The Study: In the North American Arctic, the existence of one or several taxa closely related to Deschampsia cespitosa var. cespitosa has remained a puzzle for many years. Extreme morphological variation, lack of clear limits between alleged forms, and an extended geographic range often render identification keys incomplete, and raise the question of how many species this taxon represents.