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2012 Archive
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Author(s): Emma George , D. Mansfield , J. Smith , C. Hinchliff
Presentation: oral
Lomatium and Cymopterus are two large plant genera of western North America with many narrowly endemic taxa. These two genera are distinguished by Lomatium species having winged fruit whereas Cymopterus having ribbed fruit. Botanists question whether the difference in fruit characteristics is a good indicator to differentiate the two genera (Sun and Downie, 2003). The goal of my research is to identify phylogenetic relationships and test evolutionary hypotheses among several rare species and most of the other species in the western United States. One nuclear gene (ITS) and two chloroplast genes (rps16 intron and rpl32-trnLUAG) were sequenced using DNA extracted from leaf samples collected and dried in silica gel. Several Cymopterus species along with other genera of Apiaceae showed close genetic relationships with Lomatium species. Therefore, Cymopterus and other genera of Apiaceae fall within a clade previously thought to belong exclusively to Lomatium. This suggests that the morphological differences in fruits are products of convergent evolution. Responses to differing environmental conditions could explain the multiple emergences of winged and ribbed fruits seen in these species.
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