The long journey of Orthotrichum shevockii (Orthotrichaceae, Bryopsida): From California to Macaronesia

Biogeography, systematics and taxonomy are complementary scientific disciplines. To understand a species' origin, migration routes, distribution and evolutionary history, it is first necessary to establish its taxonomic boundaries. Here, we use an integrative approach that takes advantage of co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2019-02, Vol.14 (2), p.e0211017-e0211017
Main Authors: Vigalondo, Beatriz, Patiño, Jairo, Draper, Isabel, Mazimpaka, Vicente, Shevock, James R, Losada-Lima, Ana, González-Mancebo, Juana M, Garilleti, Ricardo, Lara, Francisco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity
Biogeography
Biological evolution
Biology and Life Sciences
Bryophytes
Bryopsida - classification
California
Classification
Computer and Information Sciences
Disjunction
Dispersal
Distribution
Divergence
Ecology
Endemic species
Evolution
Evolution, Molecular
Flowers & plants
Islands
Leaves
Migration
Migratory species
Morphology
Mosses
Natural history
Occupancy
Orthotrichum
People and places
Phylogeny
Phylogeography
Plant sciences
Populations
Qualitative analysis
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Spain
Statistical analysis
Systematics
Taxonomy
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Summary:Biogeography, systematics and taxonomy are complementary scientific disciplines. To understand a species' origin, migration routes, distribution and evolutionary history, it is first necessary to establish its taxonomic boundaries. Here, we use an integrative approach that takes advantage of complementary disciplines to resolve an intriguing scientific question. Populations of an unknown moss found in the Canary Islands (Tenerife Island) resembled two different Californian endemic species: Orthotrichum shevockii and O. kellmanii. To determine whether this moss belongs to either of these species and, if so, to explain its presence on this distant oceanic island, we combined the evaluation of morphological qualitative characters, statistical morphometric analyses of quantitative traits, and molecular phylogenetic inferences. Our results suggest that the two Californian mosses are conspecific, and that the Canarian populations belong to this putative species, with only one taxon thus involved. Orthotrichum shevockii (the priority name) is therefore recognized as a morphologically variable species that exhibits a transcontinental disjunction between western North America and the Canary Islands. Within its distribution range, the area of occupancy is limited, a notable feature among bryophytes at the intraspecific level. To explain this disjunction, divergence time and ancestral area estimation analyses are carried out and further support the hypothesis of a long-distance dispersal event from California to Tenerife Island.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0211017