Use of Simultaneous Analyses to Guide Fossil‐Based Calibrations of Pinaceae Phylogeny

• DOI: 10.1086/590472
• Publication Date: 2008-10-23T19:18:24Z
• Authors: David S. Gernandt; Susana Magallón; Gretel Geada López; Omar Zerón Flores; Ann Willyard; Aaron Liston
• Keywords: Pinaceae; Paraphyly; Monophyly; Sister group

Uncertainties in the age and phylogenetic position of Pinaceae fossils present significant obstacles to our understanding timing diversification family. We demonstrate that simultaneous analyses chloroplast DNA (matK rbcL) nonmolecular characters include both extant genera a limited number fossil taxa provide useful hypotheses for calibrating molecular trees. Root placements varied Pinaceae, with Bayesian recovering mutually monophyletic subfamilies Pinoideae Abietoideae parsimony as paraphyletic by placing root between Cedrus remaining genera. The inferred positions Pityostrobus bernissartensis sister group Pinus Pseudolarix erensis were used guide divergence‐time calibrations; these calibrations yielded an Early Cretaceous Jurassic crown‐group respectively. older estimates based on are supported weaker evidence from record but consistent recent reports leaf appear coincide There remains great need characterize anatomy species code additional characters.