Setting the evolutionary timeline: Tillandsia landbeckii in the Chilean Atacama Desert

In the Chilean Atacama Desert Tillandsia landbeckii Phil. is forming a unique vegetation type known as Tillandsia lomas. This vegetation consists in its typical configuration of one single vascular plant species only. The species forms regular linear structures in a sloped landscape and is largely depending on sand movement and fog occurrence as dominant source of water supply. Without developing a typical root system there are also few other terrestrial Tillandsia species growing on bare sand in Chile and Peru such as T. marconae Till & Vitel, T. virescens Ruiz & Pavon, T. purpurea Ruiz & Pavon or T. latifolia Mayen. Although phylogenetic evidence is limited, convergent evolution of this unique growth behavior is evident. The Atacama Desert is one of the oldest hyperarid areas globally alongside the Namib. The predominantly arid and hyper-arid climate exists since the Early Miocene, which raises the question about timing of T. landbeckii evolutionary history. Our study high...

在智利阿塔卡马沙漠中，兰德贝克铁兰（Tillandsia landbeckii Phil.）形成了一种独特的植被类型，即铁兰雾灌丛（Tillandsia lomas）。该植被的典型构型仅包含单一维管植物（vascular plant）物种。该物种在坡地景观中形成规整的线性结构，其水分供给主要以沙粒运动与雾凝结水为核心来源。该物种未发育典型根系，在智利与秘鲁的裸沙地带，亦存在少量其他陆生铁兰属物种，例如马尔科纳铁兰（T. marconae Till & Vitel）、淡绿铁兰（T. virescens Ruiz & Pavon）、紫花铁兰（T. purpurea Ruiz & Pavon）以及宽叶铁兰（T. latifolia Mayen）。尽管相关系统发育证据较为有限，但这种独特生长模式的趋同演化特征十分显著。阿塔卡马沙漠与纳米布沙漠均为全球现存最古老的超干旱区域之一，该区域的干旱与超干旱气候主导格局自中新世早期便已形成，这也引出了关于兰德贝克铁兰演化历程时间节点的相关问题。本研究着重……