Dataset Information

Quantifying morphological variation in the Castilleja pilosa species complex (Orobanchaceae).

ABSTRACT: Robustly delimited species are of paramount importance, the identification of which relies on our ability to discern boundaries between one species and the next. This is not difficult to do when species are very distinct from one another. However, in recently evolved lineages where putative species may have relatively few diagnostic features (e.g., species complexes composed of very similar species, the boundaries between which are often unclear), defining species boundaries can be more challenging. Hence, the field of species delimitation has widely advocated the use of multiple lines of evidence to delimit species, particularly in species complexes. Excessive taxonomic confusion, often the result of species descriptions that shift through time (e.g., during revisionary work and regional treatments), can further complicate the search for diagnostic features in species complexes. Here, as a first step in robustly delimiting species boundaries, we quantify and describe morphological variation in the Castilleja pilosa species complex. We first infer the morphospace of the species complex and use fuzzy-clustering techniques to explore the morphological variation in the system. Next, we hypothesize the position of type specimens within that morphospace. In so doing, we aim to visualize the impact that regional treatments have had on the conceptualization of taxa through time. We find that there is limited morphological variation among members of this complex, and we determine that the morphological concept of these species have shifted through time and are no longer accurately represented by species descriptions.

SUBMITTER: Jacobs SJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6589334 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Quantifying morphological variation in the <i>Castilleja pilosa</i> species complex (Orobanchaceae).

Jacobs Sarah J SJ Herzog Sarah S Tank David C DC

PeerJ 20190620

Robustly delimited species are of paramount importance, the identification of which relies on our ability to discern boundaries between one species and the next. This is not difficult to do when <i>species</i> are very distinct from one another. However, in recently evolved lineages where putative species may have relatively few diagnostic features (e.g., species complexes composed of very similar species, the boundaries between which are often unclear), defining species boundaries can be more c ...[more]

PMID: 31259097

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Project description:Variation in leaf morphology is correlated with environmental variables, such as precipitation, temperature and soil composition. Several studies have pointed out that individual plasticity can largely explain the foliar phenotypic differences observed in populations due to climatic change and have suggested that the environment plays an important role in the evolution of plant species by selecting for phenotypic variation. Thus, the study of foliar morphology in plant populations can help us identify the environmental factors that have potentially influenced the process of species diversification. In this study, we analyzed morphological variation in the leaf traits of the Ternstroemia lineata species complex (Penthaphylacaceae) and its relation to climatic variables across the species distribution area to identify the patterns of morphological differentiation within this species complex. Based on the collected leaves of 270 individuals from 32 populations, we analyzed nine foliar traits using spatial interpolation models and multivariate statistics. A principal component analysis identified three main morphological traits (leaf length and two leaf shape variables) that were used to generate interpolated surface maps to detect discrete areas delimited by zones of rapid change in the values of the morphological traits. We identified a mosaic coarse-grain pattern of geographical distribution in the variation of foliar traits. According to the interpolation maps, we could define nine morphological groups and their geographic distributions. Longer leaves, spatulate leaves and the largest foliar area were located in sites with lower precipitation and higher seasonality of precipitation following a northwest-southeast direction and following significant latitudinal and longitudinal gradients. According to the phenogram of the relationships of the nine morphological groups based on morphological similarity, the putative species and subspecies of the T. lineata species complex did not show a clear pattern of differentiation. In this study, we found a complex pattern of differentiation with some isolated populations and some other contiguous populations differentiated by different traits. Further genetic and systematic studies are needed to clarify the evolutionary relationships in this species complex.

Dataset Information

Quantifying morphological variation in the Castilleja pilosa species complex (Orobanchaceae).

Publications

Quantifying morphological variation in the <i>Castilleja pilosa</i> species complex (Orobanchaceae).

Similar Datasets

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