Publications by authors named "Rachel Keuler"
While advances in sequencing technologies have been invaluable for understanding evolutionary relationships, increasingly large genomic data sets may result in conflicting evolutionary signals that are often caused by biological processes, including hybridization. Hybridization has been detected in a variety of organisms, influencing evolutionary processes such as generating reproductive barriers and mixing standing genetic variation. Here, we investigate the potential role of hybridization in the diversification of the most speciose genus of lichen-forming fungi, Xanthoparmelia.
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- Advancements in molecular genetics show that hybridization is common in plants, animals, and fungi, affecting evolution and speciation, particularly in pathogenic fungi, although its impact on fungal lineages has not been widely studied.
- This research investigates how hybridization influences the development of distinct asexual lichens, specifically examining vagrant forms of the rock-dwelling species in the Rhizoplaca melanophthalma complex.
- Findings indicate that hybrid speciation likely contributes to the emergence of these lichens, and the study suggests further exploration of hybridization's role in evolutionary processes, urging a closer look at reticulate phylogenies in species classification.