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Abstract Detail


Systematics Section

Godden, Grant [1], Burleigh, Gordon [2], Soltis, Pamela [3], Soltis, Douglas [4].

Out of the Bushes and Into the Trees: Interpreting Complex Patterns in Mint Phylogeny.

The mint family (Lamiaceae) is species rich and morphologically complex, with a dynamic and contentious taxonomic history. Phylogenetic analyses of closely related mints based on molecular data often yield few well-supported clades. Although these patterns do not resolve taxonomic questions, they may represent important evolutionary events and processes. For example, phylogenetic inference may be greatly complicated by incomplete lineage sorting, gene duplications, and heterogeneous processes of molecular evolution across loci and lineages. Furthermore, systematic error--including alignment error, unrecognized paralogy, inadequate taxonomic sampling, and model misspecification--also might be misleading the phylogenetic analyses. We assembled the available DNA sequence data from Lamiaceae along with new sequences for New World Mentheae in order to examine relationships throughout Lamiceae and to investigate potential factors complicating phylogenetic inference. This analysis produced the most comprehensive family-wide phylogeny for Lamiaceae, representing a synthesis of current molecular data. We also used fossil evidence for Lamiaceae (and Lamiales) and phylogenetic dating techniques to estimate the first divergence dates and evolutionary rates for the family. We discuss the implications of our analysis on mint systematics as well as promising future directions for resolving relationships throughout Lamiaceae.

Broader Impacts:


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1 - University of Florida, Department of Biology, Florida Museum of Natural History, 357 Dickinson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA
2 - University of Florida, Department of Biology, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
3 - University Of Florida, Florida Museum Of Natural History, PO BOX 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7800, USA
4 - University of Florida, Department of Biology, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

Keywords:
Lamiaceae
Labiatae
supermatrix
bioinformatics
molecular dating
lineage sorting
Polytomy
Phylogenetic analysis.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 36
Location: Lindell B/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
Time: 5:00 PM
Number: 36015
Abstract ID:592


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