Concatenated DNA matrix and BEAST tree used for phylogenetic, dating, biogeographic and diversification analyses of Caribbean Podocarpus

Aim The Progression Rule, that older lineages inhabit older islands and colonize newer ones as they emerge, has seldom been tested in the Caribbean due to its geological complexity.  Here we use the conifer genus Podocarpus to explore this hypothesis. We infer the evolutionary history, biogeography, and diversification rates of this genus under a hypothesis testing framework.

Location The Caribbean archipelago (Antilles)

Methods We present the most comprehensive sampling for Caribbean Podocarpus to date in a Bayesian dated phylogenetic tree using a genotyping by sequencing DNA matrix of 67,589 bp. We inferred ancestral ranges and inter-island divergence patterns using several models available. We explored diversification rates associated with island colonization, and checked for diversification rate shifts in the phylogeny.

Results Caribbean Podocarpus is the result of colonization from the Andes during the Eocene to Oligocene (ca. 45-31 Ma). Lesser Antillean species originated...