title: Population and phylogenomic decomposition via genotyping-by-sequencing in Australian Pelargonium.
abstract: Species delimitation has seen a paradigm shift as increasing accessibility of genomic-scale data enables separation of lineages with convergent morphological traits and the merging of recently diverged ecotypes that have distinguishing characteristics. We inferred the process of lineage formation among Australian species in the widespread and highly variable genus Pelargonium by combining phylogenomic and population genomic analyses along with breeding system studies and character analysis. Phylogenomic analysis and population genetic clustering supported seven of the eight currently described species but provided little evidence for differences in genetic structure within the most widely distributed group that containing P. australe. In contrast, morphometric analysis detected three deep lineages within Australian Pelargonium; with P. australe consisting of five previously unrecognized entities occupying separate geographic ranges. The genomic approach enabled elucidation of parallel evolution in some traits formerly used to delineate species, as well as identification of ecotypic morphological differentiation within recognized species. Highly variable morphology and trait convergence each contribute to the discordance between phylogenomic relationships and morphological taxonomy. Data suggest that genetic divergence among species within the Australian Pelargonium may result from allopatric speciation while morphological differentiation within and among species may be more strongly driven by environmental differences.
authors: Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
authors: Adrienne B
authors: AB
authors: Nicotra
authors: Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.|Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Chong
authors: Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
authors: Jason G
authors: JG
authors: Bragg
authors: Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
authors: Chong Ren
authors: CR
authors: Ong
authors: Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
authors: Nicola C
authors: NC
authors: Aitken
authors: Genome Discovery Unit, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia.
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Chuah
authors: Australian National Herbarium, Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
authors: Brendan
authors: B
authors: Lepschi
authors: Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.|Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Australian National University, ACT, 2601, Australia.
authors: Justin O
authors: JO
authors: Borevitz
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005838:Genotype; D031316:Pelargonium / Q000145:classification*; D010802:Phylogeny
keywords: Pelargonium; genotyping-by-sequencing; morphometrics; phylogenomic; population genomics; reproductive isolation; speciation