Phylogenetic analyses reveal deeply divergent species lineages in the genus Sphaerobolus (Phallales: Basidiomycota).
Phylogenetic analyses of 27 artillery fungus (Sphaerobolus sp.) isolates were conducted to identify species boundaries in the genus Sphaerobolus. Multiple gene genealogies inferred from maximum likelihood, Bayesian, and maximum-parsimony analyses of sequence data from individual loci (mtSSU, ITS, EF 1-alpha, and LSU) and a combined dataset (mtSSU, ITS, and EF 1-alpha) concordantly indicate the existence of three deeply divergent lineages in the genus Sphaerobolus, each representing a phylogenetic species. These three phylogenetic species correspond to two known species: Sphaerobolus iowensis and Sphaerobolus stellatus, and a newly discovered species. Suprageneric phylogenetic analyses of the mtSSU and LSU datasets containing representatives of related genera of the gomphoid-phalloid clade of Homobasidiomycetes suggested that the undescribed taxon likely is more closely related to S. stellatus than to S. iowensis.
Geml
József
J
Department of Plant Pathology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. jgeml@iab.alaska.edu
Davis
Donald D
DD
Geiser
David M
DM
D001483:Base Sequence; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005843:Geography; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014481:United States
D004271:DNA, Fungal