Biogeographic diversification of Eranthis (Ranunculaceae) reflects the geological history of the three great Asian plateaus

Abstract

The evolutionary history of organisms with poor dispersal abilities usually parallels geological events. Collisions of the Indian and Arabian plates with Eurasia greatly changed Asian topography and affected regional and global climates as well as biotic evolution. However, the geological evolution of Asia related to these two collisions remains debated. Here, we used Eranthis , an angiosperm genus with poor seed dispersal ability and a discontinuous distribution across Eurasia, to shed light on the orogenesis of the Qinghai–Tibetan, Iranian and Mongolian Plateaus. Our phylogenetic analyses show that Eranthis comprises four major geographical clades: east Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau clade (I-1), North Asian clade (I-2), west Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau clade (II-1) and Mediterranean clade (II-2). Our molecular dating and biogeographic analyses indicate that within Eranthis , four vicariance events correlate well with the two early uplifts of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau during the Late Eocene and the Oligocene–Miocene boundary and the two uplifts of the Iranian Plateau during the Middle and Late Miocene. The origin and divergence of the Mongolian Plateau taxa are related to the two uplifts of the Mongolian Plateau during the Middle and Late Miocene. Additionally, our results are in agreement with the hypothesis that the central part of Tibet only reached an altitude of less than 2.3 km at approximately 40 Ma. This study highlights that organismal evolution could be related to the formation of the three great Asian plateaus, hence contributing to the knowledge on the timing of the key tectonic events in Asia.

Karyotype and genome size variation in white-flowered Eranthis sect. Shibateranthis (Ranunculaceae)

“…Since there are different definitions of the term "basic chromosome number (x)" concerning polyploids (Peruzzi 2013), we clarify that, in the study, we mean, "x" as "chromosome number found in the gametes of their diploid relatives", according to Darlington (1958). A recent phylogenetic study (Xiang et al 2021) found that E. tanhoensis and E. sibirica are closely related species that formed separate groups with basic chromosome number x = 7 within the North Asian clade of Eranthis. The same basic chromosome number x = 7 with 2n = 14 was previously reported in the genus Eranthis for E. stellata (Starodubtsev 1985), albeit this author does not provide any microphotograph of the metaphase plate.…”

“…This hypothesis is because most of the tribe Cimicifugeae members (i.e., Actaea, Anemonopsis, Beesia, Cimicifuga, Souliea and closely related Helleborus; Wang et al 2009) have x = 8 (Rice et al 2015). In addition, it has been established that Eranthis originated in East Asia and then dispersed to the west Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Mediterranean regions (Xiang et al 2021). East Asian Eranthis species (i.e., E. byunsanensis, E. lobulata, E. pinnatifida, and E. stellata) have x = 8.…”

“…East Asian Eranthis species (i.e., E. byunsanensis, E. lobulata, E. pinnatifida, and E. stellata) have x = 8. According to a recent phylogenetic study (Xiang et al 2021), E. sibirica and E. tanhoensis are a derived group within the North Asian clade of Eranthis with noncanonical basic chromosome number x = 7 for the tribe Cimicifugeae.…”

Identification of Flavonoids in the Leaves of Eranthis longistipitata (Ranunculaceae) by Liquid Chromatography with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS)

“…The genus Eranthis Salisb. belongs to the tribe Cimicifugeae of the family Ranunculaceae Juss., with 13 species occurring on a territory covering a part of Europe and Asia [1,2]. Representatives of this genus are perennial herbs with tuberous rhizomes or tubers and basal long petiolate leaves with the blades divided into several or many palmate segments that are undivided or lobate; unbranched scapes carry a solitary bisexual actinomorphic flower supported by three verticillate leaf-like bracts forming involucrate leaves; there are (4-)5-8 yellow, white or pink, petaloid sepals as well as 5-10(-15) yellow or white, petaloid, or slightly concave tubular petals, shorter than sepals, sometimes with pseudonectaries; nectaries are located inside the tubular petal; there are >10 stamens and 3-10 follicles with several smooth seeds in each fruitlet [3,4].…”

“…Shibateranthis have tubers, white sepals, and a bilobate or forked petal apex, sometimes with pseudonectaries [6]. Phylogenetic studies support the subdivision of the genus into these sections [2,7].…”