Coalescent-based species delimitation approach uncovers high cryptic diversity in the cosmopolitan lichen-forming fungal genus Protoparmelia (Lecanorales, Ascomycota).
Species recognition in lichen-forming fungi has been a challenge because of unsettled species concepts, few taxonomically relevant traits, and limitations of traditionally used morphological and chemical characters for identifying closely related species. Here we analyze species diversity in the cosmopolitan genus Protoparmelia s.l. The ~25 described species in this group occur across diverse habitats from the boreal-arctic/alpine to the tropics, but their relationship to each other remains unexplored. In this study, we inferred the phylogeny of 18 species currently assigned to this genus based on 160 specimens and six markers: mtSSU, nuLSU, ITS, RPB1, MCM7, and TSR1. We assessed the circumscription of species-level lineages in Protoparmelia s. str. using two coalescent-based species delimitation methods--BP&P and spedeSTEM. Our results suggest the presence of a tropical and an extra-tropical lineage, and eleven previously unrecognized distinct species-level lineages in Protoparmelia s. str. Several cryptic lineages were discovered as compared to phenotype-based species delimitation. Many of the putative species are supported by geographic evidence.
Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe Universität, Grüneburgplatz 1, 60323, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Garima
G
Singh
Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Francesco
F
Dal Grande
Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Plaza de Ramon y Cajal s/n, E-28040, Madrid, Spain.
Pradeep K
PK
Divakar
Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Jürgen
J
Otte
Science & Education, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, United States of America.
Steven D
SD
Leavitt
Department of Botany and Plant Ecology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-363, Wroclaw, Poland.
Katarzyna
K
Szczepanska
Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Plaza de Ramon y Cajal s/n, E-28040, Madrid, Spain.
Ana
A
Crespo
Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Plaza de Ramon y Cajal s/n, E-28040, Madrid, Spain.
Víctor J
VJ
Rico
Advice Bureau for Bryology and Lichenology Herbarium, Soest, The Netherlands.
André
A
Aptroot
Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Departamento de Biociências, Itabaiana, Sergipe, Brazil.
Marcela Eugenia da Silva
ME
Cáceres
Science & Education, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, United States of America.
H Thorsten
HT
Lumbsch
Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe Universität, Grüneburgplatz 1, 60323, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Imke
I
Schmitt
D001203:Ascomycota / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D044822:Biodiversity; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D056426:Genetic Loci; D008011:Lichens / Q000382:microbiology*; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010802:Phylogeny; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013045:Species Specificity