A well-sampled phylogenetic analysis of the polystichoid ferns (Dryopteridaceae) suggests a complex biogeographical history involving both boreotropical migrations and recent transoceanic dispersals

摘要

Intercontinental disjunctions in ferns have often been considered as the result of long-distance dispersal (LDD) events rather than of vicariance. However, in many leptosporangiate groups, both processes appear to have played a major role in shaping current geographical distribution. In this study, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships and inferred the ancestral distribution areas of the polystichoid ferns (Cyrtomium, Phanerophlebia, and Polystichum), to evaluate the relative impact of vicariance and LDD on the biogeography of this group. We used a molecular dataset including 3346 characters from five plastid loci. With 190 accessions our taxon coverage was about three times as large as any previous worldwide sampling. Biogeographical analyses were performed using S-DIVA and S-DEC and divergence times were estimated by integrating fossil and secondary calibrations.