Tracing Histories of Polyploidy, Admixture, and Diversification in a Hawaiian Plant Radiation through Genomic Analyses

In this study we use genomic data to detail the evolutionary history of the Hawaiian endemic mint radiation. Evolutionary radiations are characterized by rapid speciation with little genetic differentiation, in which genetic markers can leave many questions unanswered. Using genomic data, we were able to characterize the polyploid and hybrid origin of the lineage and also characterize hybridization among species and in a hybrid swarm.

本研究利用基因组数据（genomic data），详细解析了夏威夷特有薄荷类群的演化辐射（evolutionary radiation）历史。演化辐射以快速成种、遗传分化程度极低为典型特征，此类演化过程中，遗传标记（genetic markers）往往难以解答诸多演化疑问。本研究借助基因组数据，不仅明确了该支系（lineage）的多倍体（polyploid）与杂交起源（hybrid origin），还解析了物种间以及杂交群（hybrid swarm）内的杂交事件。