SOLTIS, PAMELA S.*, DOUGLAS E. SOLTIS, MARK W. CHASE, DIRK ALBACH, MARK E. MORT, VINCENT SAVOLAINEN, AND MICHAEL ZANIS. Department of Botany, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, Molecular Systematics Section, Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3DS U. K. - Molecular phylogenetics of angiosperms: congruent patterns inferred from three genes. Part I.
Separate phylogenetic analyses of gene sequences for 18S ribosomal
RNA, rbcL, and atpB for over 400 species of angiosperms
revealed highly concordant patterns of evolutionary history. Although
the trees based on 18S rDNA sequences are not as well resolved as
those based on rbcL or atpB, separate parsimony analyses
of these three genes are consistent in most of the major lineages
recovered. However, these analyses depict different groups of genera
at the base of the angiosperm radiation. With this exception, the
three separate analyses estimated similar patterns of phylogeny.
Because of the overall concordance between trees derived from these
three data sets, we combined the data into a single data set.
Parsimony analyses, along with bootstrap and jackknife analyses, were
then performed on the combined data set. The result was both improved
resolution and increased internal support in the combined analysis.
That separate analyses of these three genes recover similar clades and
largely congruent patterns of relationship is strong evidence that
these estimates portray the true framework of angiosperm phylogeny.
Key words: angiosperm phylogeny, combined analysis, molecular data