ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess

Abstract Number: 2735
Session = 4.2.1


ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF WOODINESS IN THE MACARONESIAN ISLANDS


Francisco-Ortega, J.*, J. L. Paneroİ, S.-J. Parkİ, U.-R. Böhle§, A. Santos-Guerra and R. K. Jansenİ*Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, İUniversity of Texas, Austin, TX 78713, §Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Goettingen, Germany, D-37077, Jardin de Aclimatacion de de La Orotava, Tenerife, Spain, E-28400


Approximately 70% of the Macaronesian endemics are woody, a feature which has attracted the attention of evolutionary biologists for more than a century. Molecular phylogenies of the endemic genus Pericallis indicate that woodiness has originated at least twice in the Canary Islands. Phylogenetic studies for other Macaronesian endemics suggest that woodiness is a derived character-state. This pattern is also found in many endemics of the Pacific archipelagos. Our results confirm previous hypotheses regarding woodiness, this character-state is not relictual among most island endemics.

HTML-Version made 7. July 1999 by Kurt Stüber