title: Species delimitation and biogeography of a southern hemisphere liverwort clade, Frullania subgenus Microfrullania (Frullaniaceae, Marchantiophyta).
abstract: Frullania subgenus Microfrullania is a clade of ca. 15 liverwort species occurring in Australasia, Malesia, and southern South America. We used combined nuclear and chloroplast sequence data from 265 ingroup accessions to test species circumscriptions and estimate the biogeographic history of the subgenus. With dense infra-specific sampling, we document an important role of long-distance dispersal in establishing phylogeographic patterns of extant species. At deeper time scales, a combination of phylogenetic analyses, divergence time estimation and ancestral range estimation were used to reject vicariance and to document the role of long-distance dispersal in explaining the evolution and biogeography of the clade across the southern Hemisphere. A backbone phylogeny for the subgenus is proposed, providing insight into evolution of morphological patterns and establishing the basis for an improved sectional classification of species within Microfrullania. Several species complexes are identified, the presence of two undescribed but genetically and morphologically distinct species is noted, and previously neglected names are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Duke University, 139 Biological Sciences Building, Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708, USA. Electronic address: benjamin.carter@sjsu.edu.
authors.forename: Benjamin E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: Science & Education, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605-2496, USA.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Larraín
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Alžběta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manukjanová
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Duke University, 139 Biological Sciences Building, Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
authors.forename: Blanka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Duke University, 139 Biological Sciences Building, Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
authors.forename: A Jonathan
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology I and Geobio-Center, Ludwig Maximilian University, Menzinger Str. 67, 80638 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heinrichs
authors.affiliation: Science & Policy Group, Department of Conservation, Private Bag 68908, Newton, Auckland 1145, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Lange
authors.affiliation: Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, University Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suleiman
authors.affiliation: 11 Rue Saint Léon, 66000 Perpignan, France.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thouvenot
authors.affiliation: Science & Education, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605-2496, USA.
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Konrat
mesh_terms: D044362:Australasia; D005075:Biological Evolution; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D037961:Frullania / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D056426:Genetic Loci; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013020:South America
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant
keywords: Ancestral range reconstruction; Divergence time estimation; Diversification; Gondwanaland; Long distance dispersal; Species delimitation