Abstract Detail

Systematics Section

Mavrodiev, Evgeny [1], Laktionov, A. P. [2], Alexeev, Yu. E. [3].

On the new species Salix fursaevii Mavrodiev in context of the old question about rapid speciation in river plains.

We propose that Salix serotina, an endemic of the Lower Volga region discovered by Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811), must be excluded from synonymy of the widely circumscribed S. viminalis L. and should be accepted at the rank of species. We also describe as a new species Salix fursaevii Mavrodiev sp. nova, another putative endemic of the Lower Volga region. In the past both Salix serotina and S. fursaevii were widely treated as a "late-flood-plain-ecotypes" of S. viminalis L. s. l. and S. triandra L. s. l. respectively. Due to different flowering times, the Lower Volga plain populations of S. fursaevii and S. serotina are reproductively isolated form sympatric, morphologically different non-plain populations of S. viminalis s. str. and S. triandra s. str. Here, Salix fursaevii and S. serotina are presented as an example of the process of rapid speciation in river plains. Based on detailed study of the Lower Volga plain flora and vegetation the Russian botanist A. D. Fursajew originally demonstrated this phenomenon more than 70 years ago but the last one was not investigated further by others since that time. Due to the presumed high levels of endemism, the Lower Volga plain proposed here as a useful natural model system for modern evolutionary studies.

Broader Impacts:

1 - University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
2 - Astrakhan State University, Department of Biology, Astrakhan, 414056, Russia
3 - Moscow State University, Department of Geobotany, Biological Faculty, 119899 Moscow, Russia

Keywords:
Rapid speciation
Salix
Lower Volga
sympatric speciation.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Khorassan Ballroom/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Monday, July 11th, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PSY001
Abstract ID:738