title: Turnip Time Travels: Age Estimates in Brassicaceae.
abstract: Results of research in life sciences acquire a deeper meaning if they can also be discussed in temporal contexts of evolution. Despite the importance of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) as a prominent angiosperm model family, a robust, generally accepted hypothesis for a family-wide temporal framework does not yet exist. The main cause for this situation is a poor fossil record of the family. We suggest that the few known fossils require a critical re-evaluation of phylogenetic and temporal assignments as a prerequisite for appropriate molecular dating analyses within the family. In addition, (palaeo)biogeographical calibrations, not explored so far in the family, should be integrated in a synthesis of various dating approaches, with each contributing their specific possibilities and limitations.
authors.affiliation: Heidelberg Botanic Garden, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: andreas.franzke@cos.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franzke
authors.affiliation: Heidelberg Botanic Garden, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, German.
authors.forename: Marcus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Botany, Osnabrück University, D-49069 Osnabrück, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mummenhoff
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000502:physiology*; D019607:Brassicaceae / Q000502:physiology*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005580:Fossils; D010802:Phylogeny
keywords: Arabidopsis; Brassicales; fossils; mutation accumulation lines; palaeobiogeographical calibration