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Science Enabled by Specimen Data

Wu, D., R. I. Milne, H. Yang, Y. Zhang, Y. Wang, S. Jia, J. Li, and K. Mao. 2025. Phylogenomics shed light on the complex evolutionary history of a gymnosperm genus showing East Asian–Tethyan disjunction. Journal of Systematics and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.13151

When and how disjunct distributions of biological taxa arose has long attracted interest in biogeography, yet the East Asian–Tethyan disjunction is understudied. Cupressus (Cupressaceae) shows this disjunction, with 10 species in East Asia and three in the Mediterranean region. Here we used target‐capture sequencing and obtained 1991 single‐copy nuclear genes, plus complete plastomes, to infer the evolutionary history of Cupressus. Our phylogenomic reconstruction resolved four well supported clades in Cupressus, but revealed significant phylogenetic conflicts, with inter‐lineage gene flow, incomplete lineage sorting and gene tree estimation error all making important contributions. The Chengiana clade most likely originated by hybridization between the ancestors of the Himalayan–Hengduan Mountains and subtropical Asia clades, whereas orogenic and climatic changes may have facilitated gene flow within the Himalayan–Hengduan Mountains clade. Molecular dating suggested that the most recent common ancestor of Cupressus appeared in East Asia around the middle Eocene period and then became continuously distributed across Eurasia. The East Asian–Tethyan disjunction arose when the Mediterranean and Himalayan–Hengduan Mountains clades diverged, likely to have been driven by Eocene/Oligocene declines in global temperature, then reinforced by the ecogeographic barrier created by the uplift of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Niche shifts in the common ancestor of the Mediterranean clade, and signatures of selection in genes for drought and salt tolerance, probably indicate adaptation of this clade to local conditions. Overall, our study suggested that in‐depth phylogenomic analyses are powerful tools in deciphering the complex evolutionary history of the origin of East Asian–Tethyan disjunction of organisms, especially gymnosperms.

Liu, H., X. Feng, Y. Zhao, G. Lv, C. Zhang, Aruhan, T.-A. Damba, et al. 2024. Pharmacophylogenetic relationships of genus Dracocephalum and its related genera based on multifaceted analysis. Frontiers in Pharmacology 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1449426

The Lamiaceae genus Dracocephalum, with over 30 species, is believed to have considerable medicinal properties and is widely used in Eurasian ethnomedicine. Numerous studies have researched on the geographical distribution, metabolite identification, and bioactivity of Dracocephalum species, especially amidst debates concerning the taxonomy of its closely related genera Hyssopus and Lallemantia. These discussions present an opportunity for pharmacophylogenetic studies of these medicinal plants. In this review, we collated extensive literature and data to present a multifaceted view of the geographical distribution, phylogenetics, phytometabolites and chemodiversity, ethnopharmacological uses, and pharmacological activities of Dracocephalum, Hyssopus, and Lallemantia. We found that these genera were concentrated in Europe, with species adapted to various climatic zones. These genera shared close phylogenetic relationships, with Dracocephalum and Hyssopus displaying intertwined patterns in the phylogenetic tree. Our review assessed more than 900 metabolites from these three genera, with terpenoids and flavonoids being the most abundant. Researchers have recently identified novel metabolites within Dracocephalum, expanding our understanding of its chemical constituents. Ethnopharmacologically, these genera have been traditionally used for treating respiratory, liver and gall bladder diseases. Extracts and metabolites from these genera exhibit a range of pharmacological activities such as hepatoprotective, anti-inflammation, antimicrobial action, anti-hyperlipidaemia, and anti-tumour properties. By integrating phylogenetic analyses with network pharmacology, we explored the intrinsic links between metabolite profiles, traditional efficacy, and modern pharmacology of Dracocephalum and its related genera. This study contributes to the discovery of potential medicinal value from closely related species of Dracocephalum and aids in the development and sustainable use of medicinal plant resources.

Márquez‐Márquez, A., R. O. Martínez‐Rincón, R. Hernández‐Guzmán, and F. J. García‐De León. 2024. Implications of the Last Glacial Maximum on the Genetic Diversity of Six Co‐Distributed Taxa in the Baja California Peninsula. Journal of Biogeography. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.15075

ABSTRACTAimDuring the Last Glacial Maximum, the temperature in the Baja California Peninsula decreased and the precipitation increased compared to present climatic conditions. These changes influenced the geographic distribution and the demographic processes of plants and animals. This article aims to determine how Pleistocene and current climate impacted the geographic distribution and the genetic diversity patterns of six species co‐distributed in the Baja California Peninsula.LocationNorthwest Mexico.TaxonA group of six species with desert affinities, two cacti (Pachycereus pringlei and Stenocereus gummosus), one spider (Pardosa sierra), one reptile (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) and two birds (Melanerpes uropygialis and Basilinna xantusii).MethodsMeta‐analysis of published microsatellite data was carried out for the previously mentioned species. Hierarchical generalised additive models (HGAMs) were used to assess the relationship between genetic diversity values and six abiotic predictors (latitude, elevation, current climate, habitat suitability, climatic stability and habitat suitability stability from the Last Glacial Maximum to the present). The change in the distribution range from the Last Glacial Maximum to the present was found using potential distribution models (PDMs).ResultsHGAMs revealed that M. uropygialis showed a significant relationship between genetic diversity and climatic stability, while the genetic diversity of D. dorsalis responded to the current climate. The genetic diversity of M. uropygialis and P. pringlei was affected by habitat suitability change while in B. xantusii, genetic diversity changed with current habitat suitability. According to potential distribution models, four areas of northwest Mexico functioned as a refuge during the Last Glacial Maximum: the south of the peninsula, the region between the western tip of the Vizcaíno peninsula and Cedros Island, the upper Gulf of California and the coasts of Sonora. However, only the spatial patterns of predicted genetic diversity of M. uropygialis coincide with the location of Pleistocene refugia.Main ConclusionsNo evidence was found of a concerted response of species to climate change during the Pleistocene, only one species showed evidence of discrete Pleistocene refugia and climatic stability and habitat suitability are not always conducive to higher genetic diversity values.

Lombardi, E. M., H. Faust, and H. E. Marx. 2024. Synthesizing historical plant collections to identify priorities for future collection efforts and research applications. Ecosphere 15. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70102

To understand how and where biodiversity is threatened, it is imperative to build historical baselines that accurately characterize the present and past states of biodiversity across environments. Botanical collections provide important ecological, evolutionary, and biogeographic information on the diversity and distributions of plant taxa, yet biases in collection efforts across spatial, temporal, and taxonomic scales are well known. Here, we characterize and quantify trends in botanical collections made from across different abiotic, biotic, and sociopolitical boundaries within the present‐day state of New Mexico. Using a biodiversity informatics approach applied toward a regional case study, we identify opportunities for efficiently improving natural history collection coverage and analyses of botanical diversity. Accurate representation of botanical biodiversity, preserved for future generations through vouchered plant specimens deposited in herbaria, depends on collection decisions made now. This work aims to provide a useful workflow for synthesizing digitized regional botanical collections as researchers prioritize current and future resources in the face of global change.

Hagelstam-Renshaw, C., J. J. Ringelberg, C. Sinou, W. Cardinal-McTeague, and A. Bruneau. 2024. Biome evolution in subfamily Cercidoideae (Leguminosae): a tropical arborescent clade with a relictual depauperate temperate lineage. Brazilian Journal of Botany 48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40415-024-01058-z

Some plant lineages remain within the same biome over time (biome conservatism), whereas others seem to adapt more easily to new biomes. The c. 398 species (14 genera) of subfamily Cercidoideae (Leguminosae or Fabaceae) are found in many biomes around the world, particularly in the tropical regions of South America, Asia and Africa, and display a variety of growth forms (small trees, shrubs, lianas and herbaceous perennials). Species distribution maps derived from cleaned occurrence records were compiled and compared with existing biome maps and with the literature to assign species to biomes. Rainforest (144 species), succulent (44 species), savanna (36 species), and temperate (10 species) biomes were found to be important in describing the global distribution of Cercidoideae, with many species occurring in more than one biome. Two phylogenetically isolated species-poor temperate ( Cercis ) and succulent ( Adenolobus ) biome lineages are sister to two broadly distributed species-rich tropical clades. Ancestral state reconstructions on a time-calibrated phylogeny suggest biome shifts occurred throughout the evolutionary history of the subfamily, with shifts between the succulent and rainforest biomes, from the rainforest to savanna, from the succulent to savanna biome, and one early occurring shift into (or from) the temperate biome. Of the 26 inferred shifts in biome, three are closely associated with a shift from the ancestral tree/shrub growth form to a liana or herbaceous perennial habit. Only three of the 13 inferred transcontinental dispersal events are associated with biome shifts. Overall, we find that biome shifts tend to occur within the same continent and that dispersals to new continents tend to occur within the same biome, but that nonetheless the biome-conserved and biogeographically structured Cercidoideae have been able to adapt to different environments through time.

Streiff, S. J. R., E. O. Ravomanana, M. Rakotoarinivo, M. Pignal, E. P. Pimparé, R. H. J. Erkens, and T. L. P. Couvreur. 2024. High-quality herbarium-label transcription by citizen scientists improves taxonomic and spatial representation of the tropical plant family Annonaceae. Adansonia 46. https://doi.org/10.5252/adansonia2024v46a18

Herbarium specimens provide an important and central resource for biodiversity research. Making these records digitally available to end-users represents numerous challenges, in particular, transcribing metadata associated with specimen labels. In this study, we used the citizen science initiative ‘Les Herbonautes’ and the Récolnat network to transcribe specific data from all herbarium specimen labels stored at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris of the large tropical plant family Annonaceae. We compared this database with publicly available global biodiversity repository data and expert checklists. We investigated spatial and taxonomic advances in data availability at the global and country scales. A total of 20 738 specimens were transcribed over the course of more than two years contributing to and significantly extending the previously available specimen and species data for Annonaceae worldwide. We show that several regions, mainly in Africa and South East Asia not covered by online global datasets, are uniquely available in the P herbarium, probably linked to past history of the museum’s botanical exploration. While acknowledging the challenges faced during the transcription of historic specimens by citizen scientists, this study highlights the positive impact of adding records to global datasets both in space and time. This is illustrative for researchers, collection managers, policy makers as well as funders. These datasets will be valuable for numerous future studies in biodiversity research, including ecology, evolution, conservation and climate change science.

Wenk, E., T. Mesaglio, D. Keith, and W. Cornwell. 2024. Curating protected area-level species lists in an era of diverse and dynamic data sources. Ecological Informatics 84: 102921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102921

Dynamic yet accurate species lists for protected areas are essential for conservation and biodiversity research. Even when such lists exist, changing taxonomy, ongoing species migrations and invasions, and new discoveries of historically overlooked species mean static lists can become rapidly outdated. Biodiversity databases such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and citizen science platforms such as iNaturalist, offer rapidly accessible, georeferenced data, but their accuracy is rarely tested. Here we compare species lists generated for two of the world's oldest, more famous protected areas – Yosemite National Park in California, United States and Royal National Park in New South Wales, Australia – using both automated data extraction techniques and extensive manual curation steps. We show that automated list creation without manual curation offers inflated measures of species diversity. Lists generated from herbarium vouchers required more curation than lists generated from iNaturalist, with both incorrect coordinates attached to vouchers and long-outdated names inflating voucher-based species lists. In comparison, iNaturalist data had relatively few errors, in part due to continual curation by a large community, including many botanical experts, and the frequent and automatic implementation of taxonomic updates. As such, iNaturalist will become an increasingly accurate supplementary source for automated biodiversity lists over time, but currently offers poor coverage of graminoid species and introduced species relative to showier, native taxa, and relies on continued expert contributions to identifications. At this point, researchers must manually curate lists extracted from herbarium vouchers or static park lists, and integrate these data with records from iNaturalist, to produce the most robust and taxonomically up-to-date species lists for protected areas.

Kessous, I. M., H. Farooq, W. Testo, M. F. T. Jiménez, B. Neves, A. R. Pinto, F. Salgueiro, et al. 2024. New insights into the classification, diversification, and evolutionary dynamics of bromeliads. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boae074

Abstract The Neotropics have been host to a myriad of geological and climatic events that have shaped the biodiversity present in the region. Bromeliaceae forms one of the most prominent components of the Neotropical flora, being considered the largest group nearly exclusive to the Americas, with almost 4000 species divided into eight subfamilies. Here, we utilize a new time-calibrated molecular phylogeny including 1268 bromeliad taxa and integrate habitat and morphological data to answer the following questions: (i) Are bromeliad subfamilies monophyletic, and did Neogene and Quaternary events in South America coincide with their divergence? (ii) Did naked seeds of berry-fruited species, epiphytic growth, and climatic factors increase bromeliad diversification? Our analysis reconstructed a new topology concerning some recently diverged lineages, with the genus Bromelia emerging as the sister group of a clade including all remaining Bromelioideae lineages + Puyoideae. Miocene events possibly triggered the diversification of bromeliads after a long period of stasis during the Palaeogene. We hypothesize that the morphological shift between Bromelia and Bromelioideae (except Bromelia) is related to the colonization of a new high-elevation environment by Puyoideae in the Andes. Additionally, our results show that naked seeds and the epiphytic growth form positively influence diversification rate, while precipitation, temperature, and elevation have a negative influence. We emphasize the importance of considering a variety of morphological and ecological features to enhance our understanding of bromeliad evolution.

Thomas, L. G., and R. Prunier. 2024. Local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity drive leaf trait variation in the California endemic toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia). American Journal of Botany 111. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16430

AbstractPremiseTo survive climate change and habitat loss, plants must rely on phenotypic changes in response to the environment, local adaptation, or migration. Understanding the drivers of intraspecific variation is critical to anticipate how plant species will respond to climate change and to inform conservation decisions. Here we explored the extent of local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in Heteromeles arbutifolia, toyon, a species endemic to the California Floristic Province.MethodsWe collected leaves from 286 individuals across toyon's range and used seeds from 37 individuals to establish experimental gardens in the northern and southern parts of toyon's range. We measured leaf functional traits of the wild‐collected leaves and functional and fitness traits of the offspring grown in the experimental gardens. We then investigated the relationships between traits and source environment.ResultsMost traits we investigated responded plastically to the environment, and some traits in young seedlings were influenced by maternal effects. We found strong evidence that variation in leaf margins is a result of local adaptation to variation in temperature and temperature range. However, the source environment was not related to fitness traits or survival in the experimental gardens.ConclusionsOur findings reiterate the adaptive role of toothed leaf margins in colder and more seasonally variable environments. Additionally, we provide evidence that fitness of toyon is not dependent on where they are sourced, and thus toyon can be sourced across its range for restoration purposes.

Esque, T. C., D. F. Shryock, G. A. Berry, F. C. Chen, L. A. DeFalco, S. M. Lewicki, B. L. Cunningham, et al. 2023. Unprecedented distribution data for Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia and Y. jaegeriana) reveal contemporary climate associations of a Mojave Desert icon. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1266892

IntroductionForecasting range shifts in response to climate change requires accurate species distribution models (SDMs), particularly at the margins of species' ranges. However, most studies producing SDMs rely on sparse species occurrence datasets from herbarium records and public databases, along with random pseudoabsences. While environmental covariates used to fit SDMS are increasingly precise due to satellite data, the availability of species occurrence records is still a large source of bias in model predictions. We developed distribution models for hybridizing sister species of western and eastern Joshua trees (Yucca brevifoliaandY. jaegeriana, respectively), iconic Mojave Desert species that are threatened by climate change and habitat loss.MethodsWe conducted an intensive visual grid search of online satellite imagery for 672,043 0.25 km2grid cells to identify the two species' presences and absences on the landscape with exceptional resolution, and field validated 29,050 cells in 15,001 km of driving. We used the resulting presence/absence data to train SDMs for each Joshua tree species, revealing the contemporary environmental gradients (during the past 40 years) with greatest influence on the current distribution of adult trees.ResultsWhile the environments occupied byY. brevifoliaandY. jaegerianawere similar in total aridity, they differed with respect to seasonal precipitation and temperature ranges, suggesting the two species may have differing responses to climate change. Moreover, the species showed differing potential to occupy each other's geographic ranges: modeled potential habitat forY. jaegerianaextends throughout the range ofY. brevifolia, while potential habitat forY. brevifoliais not well represented within the range ofY. jaegeriana.DiscussionBy reproducing the current range of the Joshua trees with high fidelity, our dataset can serve as a baseline for future research, monitoring, and management of this species, including an increased understanding of dynamics at the trailing and leading margins of the species' ranges and potential for climate refugia.