Diversification and spatio-temporal evolution of Cladoniaceae (Lecanorales, Ascomycota), a widespread family of lichen-forming fungi
Abstract
The lichen-forming fungi family Cladoniaceae has a great ecological relevance and forms the most important group of terricolous lichens. They make up a significant element of the vegetation of numerous biomes, such as boreal forests, the tundras, and the páramos of South America. Within Cladoniaceae, Cladonia is the most diverse genus, distributed in all continents. Here, we explore the role played by dispersal and ecological opportunity in the diversification and geographic expansion of Cladonia and allies within Cladoniaceae. We estimated lineage divergence times based on a robust multilocus phylogeny (five loci and 47 % species diversity), using Bayesian relaxed clocks calibrated with secondary age estimates derived from a more inclusive fossil-calibrated analysis. Biogeographic events and ancestral ranges were estimated using the Dispersal-Extinction-Cladogenesis (DEC) model implemented in a Bayesian framework in RevBayes. Our divergence time estimates suggest that the family Cladoniaceae originated in the Upper Cretaceous. Cladonia started diversifying around the Early Eocene, coincident with a global rise in world temperatures, though most major Cladonia lineages diverged during the Miocene. A biogeographical analysis of Cladonia lends support to the hypothesis of land dispersal between the Palearctic and Nearctic regions through the Bering land bridges in the Middle Miocene and Pliocene. Stepping-stone dispersal across the Wallace's line facilitated migration from…
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