Molecular signatures of fossil leaves provide unexpected new evidence for extinct plant relationships.
(2017) In Nature Ecology and Evolution 1. p.1033-1099- Abstract
- Gene sequences form the primary basis for understanding the relationships among extant plant groups, but genetic data are unavailable from fossils to evaluate the affinities of extinct taxa. Here we show that geothermally resistant fossil cuticles of seed-bearing plants, analysed with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), retain biomolecular suites that consistently distinguish major taxa even after experiencing different diagenetic histories. Our results reveal that similarities between the cuticular biochemical signatures of major plant groups (extant and fossil) are mostly consistent with recent phylogenetic hypotheses based on molecular and morphological data. Our novel chemotaxonomic... (More)
- Gene sequences form the primary basis for understanding the relationships among extant plant groups, but genetic data are unavailable from fossils to evaluate the affinities of extinct taxa. Here we show that geothermally resistant fossil cuticles of seed-bearing plants, analysed with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), retain biomolecular suites that consistently distinguish major taxa even after experiencing different diagenetic histories. Our results reveal that similarities between the cuticular biochemical signatures of major plant groups (extant and fossil) are mostly consistent with recent phylogenetic hypotheses based on molecular and morphological data. Our novel chemotaxonomic data also support the hypothesis that the extinct Nilssoniales and Bennettitales are closely allied, but only distantly related to Cycadales. The chemical signature of the cuticle of Czekanowskia (Leptostrobales) is strongly similar to that of Ginkgo leaves and supports a close evolutionary relationship between these groups. Finally, our results also reveal that the extinct putative araucariacean, Allocladus, when analysed through HCA, is grouped closer to Ginkgoales than to conifers. Thus, in the absence of modern relatives yielding molecular information, FTIR spectroscopy provides valuable proxy biochemical data complementing morphological characters to distinguish fossil taxa and to help elucidate extinct plant relationships. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/025d20a5-8bc0-4a50-b700-3f06f3f3ceca
- author
- Vajda, Vivi LU ; Pucetaite, Milda LU ; McLoughlin, Stephen ; Engdahl, Anders LU ; Heimdal, Jimmy LU and Uvdal, Per LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2017-07-03
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Biogeochemistry Biological techniques Evolution Palaeontology
- in
- Nature Ecology and Evolution
- volume
- 1
- pages
- 1033 - 1099
- publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:29046567
- scopus:85031893929
- wos:000417188600014
- ISSN
- 2397-334X
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41559-017-0224-5
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 025d20a5-8bc0-4a50-b700-3f06f3f3ceca
- date added to LUP
- 2017-10-24 14:02:32
- date last changed
- 2022-04-25 03:25:32
@article{025d20a5-8bc0-4a50-b700-3f06f3f3ceca,
abstract = {{Gene sequences form the primary basis for understanding the relationships among extant plant groups, but genetic data are unavailable from fossils to evaluate the affinities of extinct taxa. Here we show that geothermally resistant fossil cuticles of seed-bearing plants, analysed with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), retain biomolecular suites that consistently distinguish major taxa even after experiencing different diagenetic histories. Our results reveal that similarities between the cuticular biochemical signatures of major plant groups (extant and fossil) are mostly consistent with recent phylogenetic hypotheses based on molecular and morphological data. Our novel chemotaxonomic data also support the hypothesis that the extinct Nilssoniales and Bennettitales are closely allied, but only distantly related to Cycadales. The chemical signature of the cuticle of Czekanowskia (Leptostrobales) is strongly similar to that of Ginkgo leaves and supports a close evolutionary relationship between these groups. Finally, our results also reveal that the extinct putative araucariacean, Allocladus, when analysed through HCA, is grouped closer to Ginkgoales than to conifers. Thus, in the absence of modern relatives yielding molecular information, FTIR spectroscopy provides valuable proxy biochemical data complementing morphological characters to distinguish fossil taxa and to help elucidate extinct plant relationships.}},
author = {{Vajda, Vivi and Pucetaite, Milda and McLoughlin, Stephen and Engdahl, Anders and Heimdal, Jimmy and Uvdal, Per}},
issn = {{2397-334X}},
keywords = {{Biogeochemistry Biological techniques Evolution Palaeontology}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{07}},
pages = {{1033--1099}},
publisher = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
series = {{Nature Ecology and Evolution}},
title = {{Molecular signatures of fossil leaves provide unexpected new evidence for extinct plant relationships.}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0224-5}},
doi = {{10.1038/s41559-017-0224-5}},
volume = {{1}},
year = {{2017}},
}