RT Journal Article
T1 Unravelling a rapid radiation: biogeography and niche evolution of Carex sect. Echinochlaenae Kük. (Cyperaceae)
A1 Morales-Alonso, Ana
A1 Ford, Kerry A.
A1 Sanz-Arnal, María
A1 Míguez, Mónica
A1 García-Moro, Pablo
A1 Villaverde, Tamara
A1 Jiménez Mejías, Pedro
A1 Martín Bravo, Santiago
K1 Ecological differentiation
K1 Evolutionary radiation
K1 Morphology
K1 New Zealand
K1 Niche evolution
K1 Southern Hemisphere
AB Aim: Carex section Echinochlaenae has a disjunct distribution across the Southern Hemisphere. It displays a clear center ofdiversity in New Zealand coupled with extreme morphological and ecological diversification, suggesting a potential evolution-ary radiation. We aimed to reconstruct the biogeographic history of the group and evaluate bioclimatic niche evolution duringcolonization and diversification events.Location: Southern Hemisphere, with emphasis in New Zealand.Taxon: Carex section Echinochlaenae (subgen. Carex, Cyperaceae).Methods: An integrative approach combining phylogenetic-phylogenomic, biogeographic and bioclimatic data was used. Wereconstructed a Hyb-Seq phylogenomic backbone, as well as an expanded Sanger-based phylogeny (ITS, ETS, matK). We inves-tigated the biogeographic history of the group's Trans-oceanic dispersal across the Southern Hemisphere through ancestral areareconstruction. Bioclimatic niche evolution was explored at different spatio-temporal scales by modelling environmental spacefor close sectional lineages (Distantes, Africanae, Echinochlaenae) and for disjunct areas within Echinochlaenae.Results: Both Sanger-based and phylogenomic reconstructions retrieved a monophyletic sect. Echinochlaenae, but with lowinternal resolution, topological incongruences and conflicting genomic concordance factors (low gCF vs. moderate-high sCFvalues) affecting certain key nodes. The lineage dates back to the Early Late Miocene (c. 10.7 mya), while cladogenesis is con-centrated around the Miocene–Pliocene boundary. Abiotic niche space of the group in New Zealand was relatively similar bothbetween closely related sections and disjunct areas in sect. Echinochlaenae.Main Conclusions: The complex evolutionary relationships and their ecomorphological differentiation in New Zealand arecompatible with a rapid radiation process likely involving mechanisms that rapidly increase genetic diversity and are probablyresponsible for the lack of phylogenetic signal even though it is a relatively ancient radiation. New Zealand acted as the ancestralarea and hub of in situ diversification for this lineage, and as a source of recurrent dispersal events shaping its disjunct distribu-tion. Abiotic niche conservatism predominates across large evolutionary and geographic scales. Given the disjunction from itsclosest relatives, this suggests that niche amplitude is determined by internal constraints.
PB Wiley
YR 2026
FD 2026-06-01
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10433/26724
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10433/26724
LA en
NO Journal of Biogeography 53(6): e70240
NO Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica
DS RIO
RD Jun 12, 2026