Journal of Systematics and Evolution最新文献

{"title":"Resolving relationships despite past hybridization in Aliciella subsection Subnuda (Polemoniaceae)","authors":"Theresa C. Saunders,&nbsp;J. Mark Porter,&nbsp;Leigh A. Johnson","doi":"10.1111/jse.13010","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jse.13010","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Phylogenetics is crucial in the study of evolutionary processes and events transpiring in the course of species diversification. Phylogenetic studies within kingdom Plantae often reveal hybridization and introgression. Here, we study a subsection rife with historic hybridization and discuss the impacts of such processes on evolutionary trajectories. <i>Aliciella</i> subsection <i>Subnuda</i> comprises seven species of herbaceous plants occurring in Utah, the Navajo Nation, and the Four Corners region of North America. Previous molecular and morphological work left relationships in the subsection unresolved. Here, we use comparative DNA sequencing of nuclear ITS and chloroplast DNA regions and genome-wide RAD-seq data to clarify phylogenetic relationships and examine the role of hybridization in the subsection. We construct haplotype and nucleotype networks from chloroplast and nuclear ITS sequence matrices and compare nuclear and chloroplast phylogenies to identify multiple putative chloroplast capture events. The RAD-seq maximum likelihood phylogeny and multispecies coalescent species tree robustly resolve relationships between six species-level clades. We use STRUCTURE and HyDe on the RAD-seq data to evaluate the influence of hybridization within the subsection. The HyDe results suggest that hybridization has occurred among all species in the subsection at some point in their history. Cytonuclear discordance reveals historic chloroplast capture, and we discuss potential causes of the observed discordance. Our study robustly resolves relationships in <i>Aliciella</i> subsection <i>Subnuda</i> and provides a framework for discussing its speciation despite a history of hybridization and introgression.</p>","PeriodicalId":17087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Systematics and Evolution","volume":"62 1","pages":"55-72"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jse.13010","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89691725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Awards of JSE Outstanding Papers (2021)","authors":"Song Ge,&nbsp;Jun Wen","doi":"10.1111/jse.13012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.13012","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;In 2015, Journal of Systematics and Evolution (JSE) established the Awards of JSE Outstanding Papers to recognize the papers published in JSE with important impact in systematics and evolution (Ge &amp; Wen, &lt;span&gt;2015&lt;/span&gt;). Two Outstanding Papers and two Outstanding Papers by Young Investigators have been awarded each year since 2018. The selection of the awards was based on votes and assessments from all 17 editors of the journal with the consideration of the citations (data from Clarivate Web of Science) and the perceived impact on systematics and evolution. The winners of the Awards will receive a certificate and a prize of $800 (JSE Outstanding Papers) or $500 (JSE Outstanding Papers by Young Investigators) (Ge &amp; Wen, &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;, &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;). Here we are delighted to announce the recipients of the awards for the 2021 papers and highlight the significance of the four awarded papers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Roalson et al. A framework infrageneric classification of &lt;i&gt;Carex&lt;/i&gt; (Cyperaceae) and its organizing principles&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The genus &lt;i&gt;Carex&lt;/i&gt; L. (Cyperaceae) is widely distributed across continents and represents one of the largest genera in angiosperms, including about 2000 species. Although taxonomists continue to use subgenera and sections in &lt;i&gt;Carex&lt;/i&gt; classification, the current understanding of phylogenetic relationships in this genus is not yet sufficient for a global reclassification of the genus within a Linnean infrageneric framework because numerous phylogenetic studies have demonstrated that most subgenera and sections in the genus are polyphyletic. In this study, Roalson et al. (&lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;) presented a hybrid classification framework of &lt;i&gt;Carex&lt;/i&gt; to reflect the current state of our knowledge using a combination of informally named clades and formally named infrageneric groups. Based on an order corresponding to a linear arrangement of the clades on a ladderized phylogeny, the authors organized &lt;i&gt;Carex&lt;/i&gt; into six subgenera, which were further subdivided into 62 formally named sections plus 49 informal groups. As the authors remarked, as many as 113 species were not placed in a clade with any confidence in this study and difficulties remained for untangling intricate nomenclature and identifying types for the many available sectional names. Despite these challenges, the proposed infrageneric classification of &lt;i&gt;Carex&lt;/i&gt; will serve as a roadmap for better organizing our understanding of phylogeny, identifying species groups and stimulating further studies of this important genus.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Larridon et al. A new classification of Cyperaceae (Poales) supported by phylogenomic data&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As the third largest monocot family with great economic and ecological importance, Cyperaceae (sedges) represent an ideal model family to study various questions in evolutionary biology. Despite considerable advances in molecular phylogenetic studies at the family level, evolutionary relationships at the tribal and g","PeriodicalId":17087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Systematics and Evolution","volume":"61 4","pages":"561-562"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jse.13012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"50139988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plastomic data shed new light on the phylogeny, biogeography, and character evolution of the family Crassulaceae","authors":"Xiao-Ying Liu,&nbsp;Dan-Qing Zhang,&nbsp;Jian-Qiang Zhang","doi":"10.1111/jse.13003","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jse.13003","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Crassulaceae is a mid-sized family of angiosperms, most species of which are herbaceous succulents, usually with 5-merous flowers and one or two whorls of stamens. Although previous phylogenetic studies revealed seven major “clades” in Crassulaceae and greatly improved our understanding of the evolutionary history of the family, relationships among major clades are still contentious. In addition, the biogeographic origin and evolution of important morphological characters delimiting infrafamilial taxa have not been subject to formal biogeographic and character evolution analyses based on a well-supported phylogeny backbone. In this study, we used plastomic data of 52 species, representing all major clades revealed in previous studies to reconstruct a robust phylogeny of Crassulaceae, based on which we unraveled the spatiotemporal framework of diversification of the family. We found that the family may originate in southern Africa and then dispersed to the Mediterranean, from there to eastern Asia, Macaronesia, and North America. The crown age of Crassulaceae was dated at <i>ca</i>. 63.93 million years ago, shortly after the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary. We also traced the evolution of six important morphological characters previously used to delimit infrafamilial taxa and demonstrated widespread parallel and convergent evolution of both vegetative (life form and phyllotaxis) and floral characters (number of stamen whorls, petals free or fused, and flower merism). Our results provide a robust backbone phylogeny as a foundation for further investigations, and also some important new insights into biogeography and evolution of the family Crassulaceae.</p>","PeriodicalId":17087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Systematics and Evolution","volume":"61 6","pages":"990-1003"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"120091519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climatic niche evolution in Smilacaceae (Liliales) drives patterns of species diversification and richness between the Old and New World","authors":"Zhe-Chen Qi,&nbsp;Pan Li,&nbsp;Jun-Jie Wu,&nbsp;Alexander Gamisch,&nbsp;Tuo Yang,&nbsp;Yun-Peng Zhao,&nbsp;Wu-Qing Xu,&nbsp;Shi-Chao Chen,&nbsp;Kenneth M. Cameron,&nbsp;Ying-Xiong Qiu,&nbsp;Cheng-Xin Fu","doi":"10.1111/jse.12998","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12998","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Geographical variation in species richness in plant groups is determined by the interplay between historical, evolutionary, and ecological processes. However, the processes underlying the striking disparity in species richness between Asia and the Americas remain poorly understood. Here, we synthesize global phylogenetic and macroecological data on the diversification of Smilacaceae, deciphering potential drivers underlying the species diversity pattern biased toward Asia. We compiled global distributions of all Smilacaceae species, and reconstructed the biogeographic history and niche evolution using a new time-calibrated phylogeny (eight genes, 135 species). Integrating these data sets, we estimated evolutionary histories and diversification rates for each region, and tested correlations among species diversification, niche evolution, and niche divergence. Smilacaceae probably originated during the Late Cretaceous/Early Palaeocene and began to diversify in middle to low latitudes in Central America and Eurasia during the Late Eocene. Both the Old and New World clades exhibited a steady, albeit slight, increase of species diversification from the Late Eocene to Early Miocene. However, the Old World clade experienced an abrupt increase in net diversification during the Late Miocene. Our findings also revealed that species diversification rates were positively correlated with ecological niche evolution and niche divergence. Niche shifts and climatic niche evolution since the Middle Miocene played crucial roles in species diversification dynamics within Smilacaceae. The high plant richness in Asia may be explained by greater diversification in this region, potentially promoted by heterogeneous environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":17087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Systematics and Evolution","volume":"61 5","pages":"733-747"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"50154247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic admixture of Chinese Tajik people inferred from genome-wide array genotyping and mitochondrial genome sequencing","authors":"Jing Zhao,&nbsp;Qiao Wu,&nbsp;Xin-Hong Bai,&nbsp;Edward Allen,&nbsp;Meng-Ge Wang,&nbsp;Guang-Lin He,&nbsp;Jian-Xin Guo,&nbsp;Xiao-Min Yang,&nbsp;Jian-Xue Xiong,&nbsp;Zi-Xi Jiang,&nbsp;Xiao-Yan Ji,&nbsp;Hui Wang,&nbsp;Jing-Ze Tan,&nbsp;Shao-Qing Wen,&nbsp;Chuan-Chao Wang","doi":"10.1111/jse.12957","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jse.12957","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Chinese Tajiks are an Indo-Iranian-speaking population in Xinjiang, northwest China. Although the complex demographic history has been characterized, the ancestral sources and genetic admixture of Indo-Iranian-speaking groups in this region remain poorly understood. We here provide the genome-wide genotyping data for over 700 000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and mtDNA multiplex sequencing data in 64 Chinese male Tajik individuals from two dialect groups, Wakhi and Selekur. We applied principal component analysis (PCA), ADMIXTURE, <i>f</i>-statistics, treemix, <i>qpWave/qpAdm</i>, Admixture-induced Linkage Disequilibrium for Evolutionary Relationships (ALDER), and <i>Fst</i> analyses to infer a fine-scale population genetic structure and admixture history. Our results reveal that Chinese Tajiks showed the closest affinity and similar genetic admixture pattern with ancient Xinjiang populations, especially Xinjiang samples in the historical era. Chinese Tajiks also have gene flow from European and Neolithic Iran farmers-related populations. We observed a genetic substructure in the two Tajik dialect groups. The Selekur-speaking group who lived in the county had more gene flow from East Asians than Wakhi-speaking people who inhabited the village. These results document the population movements contributed to the influx of diverse ancestries in the Xinjiang region.</p>","PeriodicalId":17087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Systematics and Evolution","volume":"62 1","pages":"181-192"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73588464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chemical communication between plants and insects","authors":"Pengjuan Zu,&nbsp;Da-Yong Zhang,&nbsp;Yi-Bo Luo","doi":"10.1111/jse.12955","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12955","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;The chemical communication between plants and insects plays a pivotal role in shaping plant–insect interactions and ecological networks, making it a vital component in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. Despite the considerable advancements in the field of chemical ecology (Meinwald &amp; Eisner, &lt;span&gt;2008&lt;/span&gt;), numerous challenges remain due to its interdisciplinary nature (encompassing evolutionary biology, neurobiology, chemistry, animal behavior, and network ecology), as well as the complexity of chemical communication (including mediating mutualistic and antagonistic relationships, and multifunctional roles at the community level). In this special issue of the &lt;i&gt;Journal of Systematics and Evolution&lt;/i&gt;, we present a collection of 10 papers addressing these challenges through original research and comprehensive reviews of relevant subfields. The contributions can be organized into four primary themes: (i) community-level communication theory (Zu et al., &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;) and its application to plant–pollinator communities (Yang et al., &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;); (ii) the evolutionary history of communication from a phylogenetic and macroevolutionary perspective (Martel et al., &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;; Schwery et al., &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;); (iii) various communication types, including plant–pollinator (Martel et al., &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;), plant–pest (Fang et al., &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;), and plant–fungi–insect interactions (Xu et al., &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;); and (iv) an exploration of different communication factors such as distyly (Zeng et al., &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;), odor dynamics (Feng et al., &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;), chemical structures (Zhang et al., &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;), and the impact of herbicides (Ramos et al., &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ecological communities are characterized by complex interaction networks involving numerous interdependent species. However, traditional studies of plant–insect chemical communication have primarily focused on specific species, with only a few links between plant–insect interactions. With the rapid development of chemical collection instruments, there has been a growing interest in community-level studies on plant–insect chemical communication (reviewed by Zu et al., &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;). This development highlights the need for a conceptual framework and practical methodologies to expand our mechanistic understanding of plant–insect chemical communication from pairwise species interactions to ecological network levels.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Zu et al. (&lt;span&gt;2020&lt;/span&gt;) proposed an innovative approach by incorporating Shannon information theory (Shannon, &lt;span&gt;1948&lt;/span&gt;), originally developed for telecommunication, into the study of plant–insect communication. In this special issue, Zu et al. (&lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;) contribute a perspective paper outlining the fundamentals of information theory and its application in studying the patterns and processes of cross-species chemical communication from both top-down and bottom-up perspectives. Shan","PeriodicalId":17087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Systematics and Evolution","volume":"61 3","pages":"441-444"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jse.12955","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"50138034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chemicals mediate the interaction between plant-associated fungi and insects","authors":"Yang Xu,&nbsp;Lei Xu,&nbsp;Hong He","doi":"10.1111/jse.12956","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12956","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plants, insects, and fungi have successfully colonized almost all terrestrial ecosystems, and their interactions have been the subject of numerous studies in recent decades. Plant-associated fungi include endophytic, arbuscular mycorrhizal, ambrosia, saprotrophic, pathogenic, and floral fungi. These fungi interact with insects through various mechanisms, including the modification of plant nutritional quality and degradation of plant defensive allelochemicals that are toxic to insects. Additionally, certain fungi assist plants in defending against insect attacks. Correspondingly, insects have evolved sophisticated nervous, digestive, and muscular systems that assist them in recognizing, preying on, and dispersing plant-associated fungi; these organ systems allow insects to detect and respond to various chemical signatures in the environment. Insects can be nourished, attracted, repelled, poisoned, and killed by chemical molecules produced by plant-associated fungi, which could be beneficial or detrimental to plants. This review summarizes the functions of different chemicals from the perspective of plant–fungus–insect interactions and discusses the challenges and future perspectives in this chemical ecology research field.</p>","PeriodicalId":17087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Systematics and Evolution","volume":"61 3","pages":"506-517"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jse.12956","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"50130254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The origin and dispersal of Firmiana danxiaensis among isolated specific landscapes","authors":"Su-Fang Chen,&nbsp;Wan-Yi Zhao,&nbsp;Yan-Shuang Huang,&nbsp;Kai-Kai Meng,&nbsp;Kang-You Huang,&nbsp;Rong-Feng Hou,&nbsp;Xiao-Ying Luo,&nbsp;Zai-Xiong Chen,&nbsp;Yuan-Qiu Li,&nbsp;Ren-Chao Zhou,&nbsp;Wen-Bo Liao,&nbsp;Qiang Fan","doi":"10.1111/jse.12954","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jse.12954","url":null,"abstract":"<p>China has the most numerous Danxia and Karst landscapes, which serve as special terrestrial islands harboring ample endemic species, though how did these endemic species spread among those isolated sites is still an unresolved issue. To address this question, we explored the phylogeographical structure and demographic history of <i>Firmiana danxiaensis</i>, a tree species endemic to Danxia and Karst landscapes. We collected 295 samples (28 populations) of <i>F. danxiaensis</i>. Plastid genomes were assembled for 25 representative samples. Sanger sequencing of four plastid regions and restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing were performed on the 28 populations. The phylogenetic tree constructed from plastid genomes and restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) data supported that <i>F. danxiaensis</i> originated from Mount Danxia and Nanxiong Basin, spread to Karst landscapes near Yingde City, and then back to Danxia Mountain and the Nanxiong Basin. In the Nanxiong Basin, the latter arrivals captured the plastid of the former. Population analyses revealed strong population structure among and within Danxia and Karst landscapes, possibly due to low seed and pollen dispersal abilities of the species. The demographic and ecological niche modeling approaches suggested that <i>F. danxiaensis</i> have widely occurred in the southeast of China during the last glacial period, and later retreated to the cliffs of Danxia and Karst landscapes due to temperature rising and competition failure. The declining of the effective population size of the species throughout the postglacial period suggested that global warming, agriculture, and industrial civilizations could have affected the survival of this species, and more measures should be taken to conserve these species.</p>","PeriodicalId":17087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Systematics and Evolution","volume":"62 1","pages":"102-119"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82122341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional significance of asymmetrical retention of parental alleles in a hybrid pine species complex","authors":"Chang Qu,&nbsp;Hong-Na Kao,&nbsp;Hui Xu,&nbsp;Bao-Sheng Wang,&nbsp;Zhi-Ling Yang,&nbsp;Qi Yang,&nbsp;Gui-Feng Liu,&nbsp;Xiao-Ru Wang,&nbsp;Yan-Jing Liu,&nbsp;Qing-Yin Zeng","doi":"10.1111/jse.12953","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jse.12953","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Hybrid genomes usually harbor asymmetrical parental contributions. However, it is challenging to infer the functional significance of asymmetrical retention of parental alleles in hybrid populations of conifer trees. Here we investigated the diversity in the glutathione <i>S</i>-transferase (GST) gene family in a hybrid pine <i>Pinus densata</i> and its parents (<i>Pinus tabuliformis</i> and <i>Pinus yunnanensis</i>). Plant GSTs play major roles in protecting plants against biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, 19 orthologous groups of GST genes were identified and cloned from these three species. We examined their expression in different tissues, and then purified the corresponding proteins to characterize their enzymatic activities and specificities toward different substrates. We found that among the 19 GST orthologous groups, divergence in gene expression and in enzymatic activities toward different substrates was prevalent. <i>P. densata</i> preferentially retained <i>P. yunnanensis</i>-like GSTs for 17 out of the 19 gene loci. We determined the first GST crystal structure from conifer species at a resolution of 2.19 Å. Based on this structure, we performed site-directed mutagenesis to replace amino acid residuals in different wild-types of GSTs to understand their functional impacts. Reciprocal replacement of amino acid residuals in native GSTs of <i>P. densata</i> and <i>P. tabuliformis</i> demonstrated significant changes in enzyme functions and identified key sites controlling GSTs activities. This study illustrates an approach to evaluating the functional significance of sequence variations in conifer genomes. Our study also sheds light on plausible mechanisms for controlling the selective retention of parental alleles in the <i>P. densata</i> genome.</p>","PeriodicalId":17087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Systematics and Evolution","volume":"62 1","pages":"135-148"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79117791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exceptionally well-preserved seed cones of a new fossil species of hemlock, Tsuga weichangensis sp. nov. (Pinaceae), from the Lower Miocene of Hebei Province, North China","authors":"Ya Li,&nbsp;Carole T. Gee,&nbsp;Zhen-Zhen Tan,&nbsp;Yan-Bin Zhu,&nbsp;Tie-Mei Yi,&nbsp;Cheng-Sen Li","doi":"10.1111/jse.12952","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jse.12952","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Tsuga</i> (hemlock) is a small genus of 10 extant species in the Pinaceae, with a disjunct distribution in East Asia and eastern and western North America. Reliable species-level identification of <i>Tsuga</i> fossils depends on the discovery of seed cones with intact bracts, but such cones are rare in the fossil record. Here we describe a new fossil species of hemlock as <i>T. weichangensis</i> sp. nov. based on exquisitely preserved seed cones with nearly complete bracts from the Lower Miocene of Weichang, Hebei Province, North China. This fossil species displays a mosaic of characters between <i>Tsuga</i> and <i>Nothotsuga</i>. The well-developed and slightly exserted bract scales of <i>T</i>. <i>weichangensis</i> are reminiscent of <i>Nothotsuga</i>, but other characters, such as nonleaved peduncles and tongue-shaped bract scales, in addition to monosaccate pollen found at the same fossil locality, suggest an affinity closer to <i>Tsuga</i>. Cladistic analysis based on 15 morphological characters and a molecular backbone constraint supports the assignment of these fossil cones to <i>Tsuga</i> rather than <i>Nothotsuga</i>, and places the fossil species of <i>T</i>. <i>weichangensis</i> in an unresolved polytomy within the genus <i>Tsuga</i>. The occurrence of <i>Tsuga</i> seed cone fossils indicate the paleoclimate in the Miocene of Weichang was warmer and more humid than today's climate, which is consistent with the paleoclimate reconstructed by paleopalynology.</p>","PeriodicalId":17087,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Systematics and Evolution","volume":"62 1","pages":"164-180"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86810434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}