title: Multilocus phylogeny reconstruction: new insights into the evolutionary history of the genus Petunia.
abstract: The phylogeny of Petunia species has been difficult to resolve, primarily due to the recent diversification of the genus. Several studies have included molecular data in phylogenetic reconstructions of this genus, but all of them have failed to include all taxa and/or analyzed few genetic markers. In the present study, we employed the most inclusive genetic and taxonomic datasets for the genus, aiming to reconstruct the evolutionary history of Petunia based on molecular phylogeny, biogeographic distribution, and character evolution. We included all 20 Petunia morphological species or subspecies in these analyses. Based on nine nuclear and five plastid DNA markers, our phylogenetic analysis reinforces the monophyly of the genus Petunia and supports the hypothesis that the basal divergence is more related to the differentiation of corolla tube length, whereas the geographic distribution of species is more related to divergences within these main clades. Ancestral area reconstructions suggest the Pampas region as the area of origin and earliest divergence in Petunia. The state reconstructions suggest that the ancestor of Petunia might have had a short corolla tube and a bee pollination floral syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91501-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maikel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reck-Kortmann
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91501-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Adolfo
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Silva-Arias
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91501-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia Anversa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Segatto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91501-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Geraldo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mäder
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genomic and Molecular Biology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 90610-001, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandro Luis
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bonatto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS 91501-970, Brazil. Electronic address: loreta.freitas@ufrgs.br.
authors.forename: Loreta Brandão
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: de Freitas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D018742:DNA, Chloroplast / Q000235:genetics; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D035264:Flowers / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005819:Genetic Markers; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008957:Models, Genetic; D032306:Petunia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D018742:DNA, Chloroplast; D018744:DNA, Plant; D005819:Genetic Markers
keywords: Petunia; Phylogenetic tree; Southern Brazilian Plateau; Southern South America; Speciation; Subtropical grasslands