Chapter 3: Developing Molecular Tools to Investigate Genetic Exchange Within and Between Species
Chapter 1 Introduction In order to understand current distribution patterns in the Australian flora it is important to consider genetic diversity as a hierarchy, with evolutionary processes occurring at a range of scales: landscapes, ecosystems, communities, species, populations and individuals. In recently diverged taxa this consideration is crucial for understanding speciation processes since discerning boundaries between populations and species can be difficult (Drummond and Hamilton 2007). Distribution patterns of plant taxa are the result of complex historical processes including climatic change, vicariance, long-distance dispersal, competition and selection. However, contemporary factors such as tolerance or adaptation to habitats and human activity can be equally important. Determining the long- and short-term processes that have led to isolated and, consequently, vulnerable populations of plant species, is crucial for the conservation of the Australian flora. The genera Tremandra R.Br. ex DC., Platytheca Steetz and Tetratheca Sm. have traditionally comprised the Australian endemic family Tremandraceae (Thompson 1976). They are small perennial shrubs distributed mostly across the temperate zone in relatively open, dry habitats ranging from heath and sclerophyll forest to rock outcrops in the arid zone. Recent molecular phylogenetic research (e.g. Savolainen et al. 2000, Bradford and Barnes 2001, Crayn et al. 2006) confirms that these three genera form a clade within Elaeocarpaceae, a family of mostly rainforest trees and shrubs that are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions and extend into temperate areas. Placement of these genera within Elaeocarpaceae has been recently formalised (APG 2003, Coode 2004). This unexpected relationship provides an ideal opportunity for studying processes contributing to speciation in plant groups characteristic of a broad range of Australian vegetation types.
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