Worldwide long‐distance dispersal favored by epizoochorous traits in the biogeographic history of Omphalodeae (Boraginaceae)

Abstract

Biogeographic dispersal is supported by numerous phylogenetic results. In particular, transoceanic dispersal, rather than vicariance, is suggested for some plant lineages despite current long distances between America and Europe. However, few studies on the biogeographic history of plants have also studied the role of diaspore syndromes in long‐distance dispersal (LDD). Species of the tribe Omphalodeae (Boraginaceae) offer a suitable study system because the species have a wide variety of diaspore traits related to LDD and different lineages conform to patched worldwide distributions on three distant continents (Europe, America and New Zealand). Our aim is to reconstruct the biogeographical history of the Omphalodeae and to investigate the role of diaspore traits favoring LDD and current geographic distributions. To this end, a time‐calibrated phylogeny with 29 of 32 species described for Omphalodeae was reconstructed using biogeographical analyses (BioGeoBEARS, Lagrange) and models (DEC and DIVA) under different scenarios of land connectivity. Character‐state reconstruction (SIMMAP) and diversification rate estimations of the main lineages were also performed. The main result is that epizoochorous traits have been the ancestral state of LDD syndromes in most clades. An early diversification age of the tribe is inferred in the Western Mediterranean during late Oligocene. Colonization of the New World by Omphalodeae, followed by fast lineage differentiation, took place sometime in the Oligocene‐Miocene boundary, as already inferred for other angiosperm genera. In contrast, colonization of remote islands (New Zealand, Juan Fernández) occurred considerably later in the Miocene‐Pliocene boundary.

Plastome phylogenomic insights into the Sino‐Japanese biogeography of Diabelia (Caprifoliaceae)

“…A number of plant disjunctions have been reported to have resulted from long‐distance dispersal, for example, in Ampelopsis Michaux and Cyphostemma (Planch.) Alston (Vitaceae) (Nie et al, 2012; Hearn et al, 2018), Loliinae (Poaceae) (Minaya et al, 2017), Loranthaceae (Liu et al, 2018), Sabiaceae (Yang et al, 2018), Urticeae (Urticaceae) (Huang et al, 2019), Carex L. (Cyperaceae) (Martín‐Bravo et al, 2019), and Omphalodeae (Boraginaceae) (Otero et al, 2019).…”

Animal‐mediated long‐distance dispersals and migrations shaping the intercontinental disjunctions of Celastrus (Celastraceae) among five continents

“…Although both originated in Asia during the same period of time, Celastrus diversified more dramatically than Tripterygium in species diversity and distributional range. The key morphological characteristic in Celastrus , the bicolored fruit that contains red, fleshy arils, may have greatly enhanced its evolutionary success (also see Martín‐Bravo et al, 2019; Otero et al, 2019).…”

“…S4) in the Miocene. Although it may seem difficult for organisms to migrate between tropical Asia and Central and South America, this type of disjunction has been documented in both plants (e.g., Li & Wen, 2013;Liu et al, 2013;Li et al, 2017;Martín-Bravo et al, 2019;Otero et al, 2019;Valcárcel & Wen, 2019) and animals (e.g., Sharma & Giribet, 2012;Chen et al, 2013). The golden-yellow pericarps and the red, fleshy arils in Celastrus, which are attractive to birds, may have facilitated LDD between tropical Asia and Central and South America.…”

Advances in biogeography in the age of a new modern synthesis

“…Two studies report the remarkable worldwide geographic success of plant diversifications. Otero et al () explore the long‐distance dispersals as mechanisms for several major biogeographic disjunctions (Madrean‐Tethyan, amphitropical, and trans‐Pacific) in the diversification of Omphalodeae of Boraginaceae, as facilitated by epizoochorous traits. Martín‐Bravo et al () reconstruct the worldwide biogeographic diversification history of the mega‐diverse sedge genus Carex , sampling 2/3 of the c. 2000 species using ETS‐ITS‐ matK within a phylogenomic Hyb‐Seq framework.…”