Data from: Global biogeography of scaly tree ferns (Cyatheaceae): evidence for Gondwanan vicariance and limited transoceanic dispersal

Aim: Scaly tree ferns, Cyatheaceae, are a well-supported group of mostly
tree-forming ferns found throughout the tropics, the subtropics and the
south-temperate zone. Fossil evidence shows that the lineage originated in
the Late Jurassic period. We reconstructed large-scale historical
biogeographical patterns of Cyatheaceae and tested the hypothesis that
some of the observed distribution patterns are in fact compatible, in time
and space, with a vicariance scenario related to the break-up of Gondwana.
Location: Tropics, subtropics and south-temperate areas of the world.
Methods: The historical biogeography of Cyatheaceae was analysed in a
maximum likelihood framework using Lagrange. The 78 ingroup taxa are
representative of the geographical distribution of the entire family. The
phylogenies that served as a basis for the analyses were obtained by
Bayesian inference analyses of mainly previously published DNA sequence
data using MrBayes. Lineage divergence dates were estimated in a Bayesian
Markov chain Monte Carlo framework using beast. Results: Cyatheaceae
originated in the Late Jurassic in either South America or Australasia.
Following a range expansion, the ancestral distribution of the
marginate-scaled clade included both these areas, whereas Sphaeropteris is
reconstructed as having its origin only in Australasia. Within the
marginate-scaled clade, reconstructions of early divergences are hampered
by the unresolved relationships among the Alsophila, Cyathea and
Gymnosphaera lineages. Nevertheless, it is clear that the occurrence of
the Cyathea and Sphaeropteris lineages in South America may be related to
vicariance, whereas transoceanic dispersal needs to be inferred for the
range shifts seen in Alsophila and Gymnosphaera. Main conclusions: The
evolutionary history of Cyatheaceae involves both Gondwanan vicariance
scenarios as well as long-distance dispersal events. The number of
transoceanic dispersals reconstructed for the family is rather few when
compared with other fern lineages. We suggest that a causal relationship
between reproductive mode (outcrossing) and dispersal limitations is the
most plausible explanation for the pattern observed.