Molecular Phylogenetics of Apiaceae
Summary
The Apiaceae comprises herbs, shrubs and trees widely distributed across temperate regions. Molecular phylogenetics has revolutionised our understanding of this family by employing DNA sequence data—principally from chloroplast genomes and nuclear ribosomal markers—to elucidate evolutionary relationships that often defied traditional morphology. By comparing complete plastome sequences, intron regions and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer, researchers have resolved major clades within the subfamily Apioideae, clarified tribal delimitations and identified instances of polyphyly among genera such as Daucus, Ligusticum and Peucedanum. High-throughput sequencing and phylogenomic analyses now underpin robust backbone trees that accommodate gene-incongruent histories owing to hybridisation, lineage sorting and plastome rearrangements. This genomic framework informs taxonomic revision, aids in the discovery of cryptic species and supports conservation of economically significant and medicinal taxa worldwide.
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Molecular Phylogenetics of Apiaceae publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in molecular phylogenetics of apiaceae across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Plastome: The complete genome of a chloroplast, used to infer phylogenetic relationships based on sequence variation and structural rearrangements.
Monophyletic: A group of organisms that includes a common ancestor and all its descendants, indicating a single evolutionary lineage.
Phylogenomics: The application of genome-scale data to reconstruct evolutionary histories with improved resolution over single-gene analyses.
Internal transcribed spacer (ITS): A nuclear ribosomal DNA region commonly sequenced for lower-level phylogenetics due to rapid evolution.
References
- Plastid Phylogenomic Analyses Reveal a Cryptic Species of Ligusticopsis (Apiaceae, Angiosperms). International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- Backbone phylogeny and adaptive evolution of Pleurospermum s. l.: New insights from phylogenomic analyses of complete plastome data. Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
- Phylogeny and Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Melanosciadium (Apiaceae), Based on Plastid Genomes and Morphological Evidence. Plants (2024).
- The complete plastomes of seven Peucedanum plants: comparative and phylogenetic analyses for the Peucedanum genus. BMC Plant Biology (2022).
- Plastomes of eight Ligusticum species: characterization, genome evolution, and phylogenetic relationships. BMC Plant Biology (2020).
- Complete plastid genome sequence of Daucus carota: Implications for biotechnology and phylogeny of angiosperms. BMC Genomics (2006).
- TRIBES AND CLADES WITHIN APIACEAE SUBFAMILY APIOIDEAE: THE CONTRIBUTION OF MOLECULAR DATA. Edinburgh Journal of Botany (2001).
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