Molecular Phylogenetics of Asteraceae Taxa

The Asteraceae, or daisy family, represents one of the most species-rich and economically important angiosperm families, encompassing taxa ranging from staple crops and ornamentals to pharmacologically active herbs. Molecular phylogenetic approaches have transformed our understanding of Asteraceae evolution, employing both plastid and nuclear markers to resolve relationships at various taxonomic levels. High-throughput sequencing of complete chloroplast genomes has offered unprecedented resolution, revealing patterns of gene-order conservation, hotspot regions of variation and lineage-specific structural rearrangements. Complementary analyses of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) sequences have illuminated reticulate evolution, hybridisation events and chloroplast capture across tribes and subtribes. Integrative studies now combine phylogenomics, morphological data and biogeographic inference to refine taxonomic circumscription, trace migration pathways and estimate divergence times in the context of palaeoclimatic changes. These efforts underpin practical applications in biodiversity conservation, the sustainable use of medicinal species and the improvement of crop resilience through informed breeding strategies.

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Molecular Phylogenetics of Asteraceae Taxa publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in molecular phylogenetics of asteraceae taxa across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Molecular phylogenetics: The study of evolutionary relationships using molecular sequence data.

Chloroplast genome: The circular DNA molecule in plant chloroplasts, commonly used in phylogenetic inference due to its conserved structure and uniparental inheritance.

nrITS (nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer): A multicopy nuclear region located between ribosomal RNA genes, often employed to resolve relationships at species and genus levels.

Monophyletic: A group of organisms that includes an ancestor and all its descendants.

Reticulation: The network-like pattern of evolution arising from hybridisation or horizontal gene transfer, leading to incongruent gene trees.

References

1. Phylogeny of Leontopodium (Asteraceae) in China—with a reference to plastid genome and nuclear ribosomal DNA. Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
2. Molecular Phylogeny of the Lactuca Alliance (Cichorieae Subtribe Lactucinae, Asteraceae) with Focus on Their Chinese Centre of Diversity Detects Potential Events of Reticulation and Chloroplast Capture. PLOS ONE (2013).
3. Scorzonera sensu lato (Asteraceae, Cichorieae) – taxonomic reassessment in the light of new molecular phylogenetic and carpological analyses. PhytoKeys (2020).
4. Sinoseris (Crepidinae, Cichorieae, Asteraceae), a new genus of three species endemic to China, one of them new to science. Willdenowia - Annals of the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem (2020).