On the potential of Angiosperms353 for population genomics studies

Premise of the Study: Targeted sequencing using Angiosperms353 has emerged as a low-cost tool for phylogenetics, with early results spanning from all flowering plants to within genera. The use of universal markers at narrower scales—within populations— would eliminate the need for specific marker development while retaining the benefits of full-gene sequences. However, whether the Angiosperms353 markers provide sufficient variation within species to calculate demographic parameters is untested.

Methods: Using herbarium specimens from a 50-year-old floristic survey of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, we sequenced 95 samples from 24 species using Angiosperms353. We adapted a data workflow to process targeted sequencing data that calls variants within each species and prepares data for population genetic analysis. We calculated genetic diversity using standard metrics (e.g. heterozygosity, pi).

Key Results: Angiosperms353 gene recovery was associated with genomic library concentra...