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Molecular phylogenetic studies reveal an undescribed species within the North American concept of Melanelixia glabra (Parmeliaceae)

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Abstract

We employ a molecular phylogenetic approach using nuclear ITS and mitochondrial SSU rDNA gene regions to test the general efficacy of species boundaries in the morphological species Melanelixia glabra. 35 new sequences are generated for this study. Our results provide evidence that M. glabra is polyphyletic, indicating that using only morphological criteria to define species boundaries in this group of lichenised fungi underestimates actual species-level diversity. These analyses also demonstrate that the geographically distant population of the M. glabra complex in North America is the sister group of two Indian species (M. glabroides and M. villosella) and exhibits considerable molecular divergence from the European and Turkish specimens (M. glabra s. str). Additionally, some minor morphological differences support the isolation of the American clade. Such results strongly suggest that this population of M. glabra is a new phylogenetic (morphological+phylogenetic) taxon that is described here as a new species (Melanelixia californica). Our approach using two independent genes appears to be a rigorous method to critically examine species boundaries originally based on traditional morphological approaches in this group of lichenised fungi. Our study shows that the use of morphology, molecular data and geography provide a robust approach to delimitation of phylogenetic species.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the Fundación del Banco de Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA). Sequencing was carried out at the Unidad de Genómica (Parque Científico de Madrid, UCM) and the Unitat de Genomica (Parc Científic Barcelona, UB).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain

    Pradeep K. Divakar & Ana Crespo

  2. Departament de Biologia Vegetal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain

    Gemma Figueras & Nestor L. Hladun

Authors
  1. Pradeep K. Divakar
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  2. Gemma Figueras
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  3. Nestor L. Hladun
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  4. Ana Crespo
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Correspondence to Ana Crespo.

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Divakar, P.K., Figueras, G., Hladun, N.L. et al. Molecular phylogenetic studies reveal an undescribed species within the North American concept of Melanelixia glabra (Parmeliaceae). Fungal Diversity 42, 47–55 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-010-0027-3

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