Historical biogeography of Vochysiaceae reveals an unexpected perspective of plant evolution in the Neotropics

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Despite the fast pace of exploration of the
patterns and processes influencing Neotropical plant hyperdiversity, taxa
explored are mostly from large groups that are widely distributed,
morphologically diverse or economically
important.  Vochysiaceae is an example of an
undersampled taxon, providing an excellent system for investigating
Neotropical biogeography.  We present a
phylogenomic-based hypothesis of species relationships in Vochysiaceae to
investigate its evolutionary history through space and time.
METHODS: We inferred a phylogeny for 122 species from
Vochysiaceae and seven other families of
Myrtales.  Fossils from four myrtalean families were
used to estimate the divergence times within
Vochysiaceae.  Historical biogeography was estimated
using ancestral range probabilities and stochastic mapping. KEY
RESULTS: Monophyly of all genera was supported
except Qualea, which was split
by Ruizterania into two
clades.  Vochysiaceae originated roughly 100 million
years ago (Mya), splitting into an Afrotropical and a Neotropical lineage
ca. 50 Mya, and its ancestral range is in the area currently occupied by
the Cerrado. CONCLUSIONS: The most recent common ancestor of
Vochysiaceae + Myrtaceae had a West Gondwanan distribution, supporting a
South American + African ancestral range of
Vochysiaceae.  On a global scale, geographic range
reduction was the principal biogeographical event.  At a
finer scale, initial range reduction was also important and the Cerrado
region was the most ancestral area with multiple colonization events to
the Amazon, Central America and the Atlantic
Forest.  Colonization events occurred from open areas to
forest vegetation providing an  unusual finding
regarding evolution of plants in the Neotropics.