Research Index
Molecular Phylogeny of the Jahnulales
Untangling the Confusion in the Aliquandostipitaceae—Mycological Society of America Meeting, 2003
The family Aliquandostipitaceae was erected for the genus, Aliquandostipite, which contained two species of tropical ascomycetes (Inderbitzen et al 2001). In a later study (Pang et al 2002), molecular phylogeny indicated that one of these species, A. sunyatsenii, was more closely related to Jahnula and was thus transferred. At the same time a new species of Jahnula, J. siamensiae was described, although molecular analyses indicated this species had closer affinities to Aliquandostipite, and a new genus, Patescospora, was erected for a species that also had phylogenetic affinities with Aliquandostipite. To better understand the relationships of species within Aliquandostipitaceae, molecular phylogenetic analyses were performed using 18S rDNA sequences on five species of Jahnula, one undescribed species of Jahnula, one species of Aliquandostipite, one undescribed species of Aliquandostipite, one species of Patescospora, and one unidentified taxon. Jahnula sunyatsenii, is placed on a monophyletic clade with three species of Jahnula and the undescribed species of Jahnula, indicating that it was correctly moved into Jahnula. The type species of Aliquandostipite, A. khaoyaiensis, is placed on a monophyletic clade with Patescospora separans, Jahnula siamensiae, the undescribed species of Aliquandostipite, and the unidentified taxon.
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| Jahnula seychellensis |
Jahnula sangamonensis |
Aliquandostipite khaoyaiensis |
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| Aliquandostipite crystalinum |
Patescospora separans |
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Figure 1. Phylogram generated with unweighted parsimony analysis, inferred from 18S rDNA sequence data. Bootstrap values greater than 50% and decay indices, respectively, are shown above the branches.
Conclusions
Two new species are proposed: Jahnula sangamonensis and Aliquandostipite crystallinum.
On the basis of morphology and 18S molecular data, the transfer of Patescospora separans and Jahnula siamensiae into Aliquandostipite is warranted.
Morphological plasticity within and close morphological similarities among species in the Jahnulales confound attempts to resolve phylogenetic relationships among taxa in this order. Currently we are analyzing 28S rDNA sequences to further evaluate relationships within this group.
“The truth is never pure and rarely simple.” Oscar Wilde
