Unraveling the Evolutionary Radiation of the Families of the Zingiberales Using Morphological and Molecular Evidence

Abstract

The Zingiberales are a tropical group of monocotyledons that includes bananas, gingers, and their relatives. The phylogenetic relationships among the eight families currently recognized are investigated here by using parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of four character sets: morphological features (1), and sequence data of the (2) chloroplast rbcL gene, (3) chloroplast atpB gene, and (4) nuclear 18S rDNA gene. Outgroups for the analyses include the closely related Commelinaceae + Philydraceae + Haemodoraceae + Pontederiaceae + Hanguanaceae as well as seven more distantly related monocots and paleoherbs. Only slightly different estimates of evolutionary relationships result from the analysis of each character set. The morphological data yield a single fully resolved most-parsimonious tree. None of the molecular datasets alone completely resolves interfamilial relationships. The analyses of the combined molecular dataset provide more resolution than do those of individual genes, and the addition of the morphological data provides a well-supported estimate of phylogenetic relationships: (Musaceae ((Strelitziaceae, Lowiaceae) (Heliconiaceae ((Zingiberaceae, Costaceae) (Cannaceae, Marantaceae))))). Evidence from branch lengths in the parsimony analyses and from the fossil record suggests that the Zingiberales originated in the Early Cretaceous and underwent a rapid radiation in the mid-Cretaceous, by which time most extant family lineages had diverged.

Genetic diversity and molecular characterization of several Heliconia species in Colombia

“…These results corroborate the findings of Andersson (1992), Kress (1994), Kress et al (2001Kress et al ( , 2002, and Lagomarsino and Kress (2007) regarding the existence of sufficient characteristics and phylogenetic and taxonomic criteria to designate heliconias a separate botanical family.…”

“…Musaceae was presented as the basal family and Strelitziaceae as the family most closely related phylogenetically to the Heliconiaceae family; these results are similar to those found by Marouelli et al (2010). The AFLP markers made it possible to identify the Heliconiaceae family as a monophyletic group, agreeing with the proposal by Kress et al (2001), Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2003), Kress and Specht (2006), and Marouelli et al (2010). The Heliconia subgenus, to which most of the species included in this study belong, also proved to be broadly monophyletic.…”

In Vitro Synthesis of Curcuminoids by Type III Polyketide Synthase from Oryza sativa

“…The Zingiberales, which include turmeric, ginger, and banana, are closely related to Hemodorales (25). CUS is derived from rice O. sativa, which is phylogenetically distinct from Hemodorales and Zingiberales.…”

Gondwanan Origin of Major Monocot Groups Inferred from Dispersal-Vicariance Analysis

“…Chase et al (2000) proposed a first phylogeny including all orders, based on a large data set including three DNA regions (rbcL,atpB,and 18S rDNA [ribosomal DNA]), however with a comparatively limited taxon sampling. More detailed treatments are available for several orders (papers in Rudall et al 1995 andin Wilson et al 2000;Givnish et al 1999;Kress et al 2001;Vinnersten and Bremer 2001;Bremer 2002;Caddick et al 2002). With the results of the available studies taken together we have at present a rather wellsupported phylogeny resolved down to the family level.…”