Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


Broe_PhD_2014.pdf (53.35 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Phylogenetics of the Monotropoideae (Ericaceae) with Special Focus on the Genus Hypopitys Hill, together with a Novel Approach to Phylogenetic Inference Using Lattice Theory

Broe, Michael Brian
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1417442819

Abstract Details

2014, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology.
Monotropa hypopithys L. and M. uniflora L. are members of the subfamily Monotropoideae, in the family Ericaceae. The subfamily is notable for consisting exclusively of taxa which are both herbaceous and achlorophyllous. These taxa, which are symbiotic with mycorrhizal fungi and a photosynthetic host, are termed mycoheterotrophs. Monotropoids present a particular challenge to phylogenetic analysis due to the high degree of convergent evolution resulting from reductive adaptations to a non-photosynthetic, mycoheterotrophic habit. Due to the combination of morphological reduction and high variability, the taxonomy of the monotropoids is confused. In particular, there is disagreement as to (i) whether M. hypopithys and M. uniflora constitute distinct genera and (ii) whether putative segregates identified in the taxonomic literature for M. hypopithys are distinct species or polymorphic variants of a single species. We perform molecular phylogenetic analyses using nuclear, plastid, and mitochondrial loci—employing traditional Sanger and next generation sequencing methods—to show that there are in fact two genera, and that the genus Hypopitys comprises a number of distinct species, six in North America alone. We show that these molecular species are correlated with geographical, phenological, and morphological distinctions. In addition, as a contribution to the theory of systematics, we present a novel approach to phylogenetic inference based on lattice-theory, and show how its adoption radically reduces the search space of phylogenetic trees, providing an exact, non-heuristic solution which scales with the amount of actual homoplasy in the data set, and not as an exponential combinatorial function of the number of taxa.
John Freudenstein, PhD (Advisor)
189 p.
Bioinformatics; Biology; Botany; Evolution and Development; Plant Biology
monotropoids; Ericaceae; Hypopitys; Hypopithys; mycoheterotrophs; phylogenetic inference; lattice theory

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Broe, M. B. (2014). Phylogenetics of the Monotropoideae (Ericaceae) with Special Focus on the Genus Hypopitys Hill, together with a Novel Approach to Phylogenetic Inference Using Lattice Theory [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1417442819

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Broe, Michael. Phylogenetics of the Monotropoideae (Ericaceae) with Special Focus on the Genus Hypopitys Hill, together with a Novel Approach to Phylogenetic Inference Using Lattice Theory . 2014. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1417442819.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Broe, Michael. "Phylogenetics of the Monotropoideae (Ericaceae) with Special Focus on the Genus Hypopitys Hill, together with a Novel Approach to Phylogenetic Inference Using Lattice Theory ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1417442819

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1417442819
908
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.