Notes on (Convolvulaceae) from Ecuador.

Fieldwork, examination of herbarium specimens and photographic images, supported by molecular sequencing have resulted in the re-interpretation of a number of species of L. found in Ecuador and the recognition of four new species. Standl.

The research behind a taxonomic monograph: a case study from (Convolvulaceae).

Systematic monographs are an important tool for understanding biodiversity. However, while papers that outline systematic methods for biogeography, phylogenetics and diversification are commonplace, papers that cover methods for monographic and taxonomic research are rare. In this paper, we describe how we conducted a monographic study of , drawing attention to the resources we made use of and the practical steps we took, with a particular focus on how we integrated results from molecular and morphological analyses.

Deconstructing age estimates for angiosperms.

Estimates of the age of angiosperms from molecular phylogenies vary considerably. As in all estimates of evolutionary timescales from phylogenies, generating these estimates requires assumptions about the rate that molecular sequences are evolving (using clock models) and the time duration of the branches in a phylogeny (using fossil calibrations and branching processes). Often, it is difficult to demonstrate that these assumptions reflect current knowledge of molecular evolution or the fossil record.

Heuristics, species, and the analysis of systematic data.

Disagreements over how to define species potentially render them incomparable, yet biologists routinely count and compare species. This 'species problem' persists despite the wealth of data and methods available to contemporary systematists. A heuristic approach to species provides a consistent yet flexible means of selecting, assessing, and integrating different biological data.

exTREEmaTIME: a method for incorporating uncertainty into divergence time estimates.

We present a method of divergence time estimation (exTREEmaTIME) that aims to effectively account for uncertainty in divergence time estimates. The method requires a minimal set of assumptions, and, based on these assumptions, estimates the oldest possible divergence times and youngest possible divergence times that are consistent with the assumptions. We use a series of simulations and empirical analyses to illustrate that exTREEmaTIME is effective at representing uncertainty.

Discovery and characterization of sweetpotato's closest tetraploid relative.

The origin of sweetpotato, a hexaploid species, is poorly understood, partly because the identity of its tetraploid progenitor remains unknown. In this study, we identify, describe and characterize a new species of Ipomoea that is sweetpotato's closest tetraploid relative known to date and probably a direct descendant of its tetraploid progenitor. We integrate morphological, phylogenetic, and genomic analyses of herbarium and germplasm accessions of the hexaploid sweetpotato, its closest known diploid relative Ipomoea trifida, and various tetraploid plants closely related to them from across the American continent.

Species as a Heuristic: Reconciling Theory and Practice.

Species are crucial to most branches of biological research, yet remain controversial in terms of definition, delimitation, and reality. The difficulty of resolving the "species problem" stems from the tension between their theoretical concept as groups of evolving and highly variable organisms and the practical need for a stable and comparable unit of biology. Here, we suggest that treating species as a heuristic can be consistent with a theoretical definition of what species are and with the practical means by which they are identified and delimited.

The Implications of Interrelated Assumptions on Estimates of Divergence Times and Rates of Diversification.

Phylogenies are increasingly being used as a basis to provide insight into macroevolutionary history. Here, we use simulation experiments and empirical analyses to evaluate methods that use phylogenies as a basis to make estimates of divergence times and rates of diversification. This is the first study to present a comprehensive assessment of the key variables that underpin analyses in this field-including substitution rates, speciation rates, and extinction, plus character sampling and taxon sampling.

New Guinea has the world's richest island flora.

New Guinea is the world's largest tropical island and has fascinated naturalists for centuries. Home to some of the best-preserved ecosystems on the planet and to intact ecological gradients-from mangroves to tropical alpine grasslands-that are unmatched in the Asia-Pacific region, it is a globally recognized centre of biological and cultural diversity. So far, however, there has been no attempt to critically catalogue the entire vascular plant diversity of New Guinea.

A foundation monograph of (Convolvulaceae) in the New World.

A monograph of the 425 New World species of is presented. All 425 species are described and information is provided on their ecology and distribution, with citations from all countries from which they are reported. Notes are provided on salient characteristics and taxonomic issues related to individual species.

The temporal dynamics of evolutionary diversification in Ipomoea.

Molecular phylogenies are used as a basis for making inferences about macroevolutionary history. However, a robust phylogeny does not contain the information that is necessary to make many of these inferences. Complex methodologies that incorporate important assumptions about the nature of evolutionary history are therefore required.

Insights from Empirical Analyses and Simulations on Using Multiple Fossil Calibrations with Relaxed Clocks to Estimate Divergence Times.

Relaxed clock methods account for among-branch-rate-variation when estimating divergence times by inferring different rates for individual branches. In order to infer different rates for individual branches, important assumptions are required. This is because molecular sequence data do not provide direct information about rates but instead provide direct information about the total number of substitutions along any branch, which is a product of the rate and time for that branch.

The Implications of Lineage-Specific Rates for Divergence Time Estimation.

Rate variation adds considerable complexity to divergence time estimation in molecular phylogenies. Here, we evaluate the impact of lineage-specific rates-which we define as among-branch-rate-variation that acts consistently across the entire genome. We compare its impact to residual rates-defined as among-branch-rate-variation that shows a different pattern of rate variation at each sampled locus, and gene-specific rates-defined as variation in the average rate across all branches at each sampled locus.

A taxonomic monograph of Ipomoea integrated across phylogenetic scales.

Taxonomic monographs have the potential to make a unique contribution to the understanding of global biodiversity. However, such studies, now rare, are often considered too daunting to undertake within a realistic time frame, especially as the world's collections have doubled in size in recent times. Here, we report a global-scale monographic study of morning glories (Ipomoea) that integrated DNA barcodes and high-throughput sequencing with the morphological study of herbarium specimens.

Reconciling Conflicting Phylogenies in the Origin of Sweet Potato and Dispersal to Polynesia.

The sweet potato is one of the world's most widely consumed crops, yet its evolutionary history is poorly understood. In this paper, we present a comprehensive phylogenetic study of all species closely related to the sweet potato and address several questions pertaining to the sweet potato that remained unanswered. Our research combined genome skimming and target DNA capture to sequence whole chloroplasts and 605 single-copy nuclear regions from 199 specimens representing the sweet potato and all of its crop wild relatives (CWRs).

Additional notes on (Convolvulaceae) in Bolivia.

109 species of L. are recorded from Bolivia. This total includes six new country records and two species, J.

New species of (Convolvulaceae) from South America.

The importance of discovering, describing and cataloguing poorly known species in herbarium collections is discussed. It is a spur to efforts at rediscovery and consequent conservation efforts. The problems faced in describing species from limited material are discussed and our methods and criteria in making a decision are described.

Notes on L. (Convolvulaceae) in Cuba and neighbouring islands with a checklist of species found in Cuba.

An updated checklist of species of L. found in Cuba is presented with analysis of the different elements represented. Griseb.

Remarkable disjunctions in species (Convolvulaceae) from NE Brazil and Central America and their taxonomic implications.

Recent collections of from North East Brazil have revealed a number of unexpected disjunct distributions. The most remarkable is that of D. F.

How the temperate world was colonised by bindweeds: biogeography of the Convolvuleae (Convolvulaceae).

Background: At a global scale, the temperate zone is highly fragmented both between and within hemispheres. This paper aims to investigate how the world's disjunct temperate zones have been colonised by the pan-temperate plant group Convolvuleae, sampling 148 of the c. 225 known species.

Sex-specific regulation of chemokine Cxcl5/6 controls neutrophil recruitment and tissue injury in acute inflammatory states.

Background: Tissue infiltration by neutrophils during acute inflammatory states causes substantial tissue injury. While the magnitude of tissue neutrophil accumulation in innate immune responses is profoundly greater in males than females, fundamental aspects of the molecular mechanisms underlying these sex differences remain largely unknown.

Methods: We investigated sex differences in neutrophil stimulation and recruitment in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R; mesenteric or renal) or carrageenan pleurisy in rats or mice, as well as skin injury in human volunteers.

Widespread mistaken identity in tropical plant collections.

Specimens of plants and animals preserved in museums are the primary source of verifiable data on the geographical and temporal distribution of organisms. Museum datasets are increasingly being uploaded to aggregated regional and global databases (e.g.

A foundation monograph of Convolvulus L. (Convolvulaceae).

A global revision of Convolvulus L. is presented, Calystegia R.Br.