Historical biogeography and ecological niche modelling of the Asimina-Disepalum clade (Annonaceae): role of ecological differentiation in Neotropical-Asian disjunctions and diversification in Asia

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Phylogenetic Reconstruction, Morphological Diversification and Generic Delimitation of Disepalum (Annonaceae)

Taxonomic delimitation of Disepalum (Annonaceae) is contentious, with some researchers favoring a narrow circumscription following segregation of the genus Enicosanthellum. We reconstruct the phylogeny of Disepalum and related taxa based on four chloroplast and two nuclear DNA regions as a framework for clarifying taxonomic delimitation and assessing evolutionary transitions in key morphological characters. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods resulted in a consistent, well-resolved and strongly supported topology. Disepalum s.l. is monophyletic and strongly supported, with Disepalum s. str. and Enicosanthellum retrieved as sister groups. Although this topology is consistent with both taxonomic delimitations, the distribution of morphological synapomorphies provides greater support for the inclusion of Enicosanthellum within Disepalum s.l. We propose a novel infrageneric classification with two subgenera. Subgen. Disepalum (= Disepalum s. str.) is supported by numerous synapomorphies, including the reduction of the calyx to two sepals and connation of petals. Subgen. Enicosanthellum lacks obvious morphological synapomorphies, but possesses several diagnostic characters (symplesiomorphies), including a trimerous calyx and free petals in two whorls. We evaluate changes in petal morphology in relation to hypotheses of the genetic control of floral development and suggest that the compression of two petal whorls into one and the associated fusion of contiguous petals may be associated with the loss of the pollination chamber, which in turn may be associated with a shift in primary pollinator. We also suggest that the formation of pollen octads may be selectively advantageous when pollinator visits are infrequent, although this would only be applicable if multiple ovules could be fertilized by each octad; since the flowers are apocarpous, this would require an extragynoecial compitum to enable intercarpellary growth of pollen tubes. We furthermore infer that the monocarp fruit stalks are likely to have evolved independently from those in other Annonaceae genera and may facilitate effective dispersal by providing a color contrast within the fruit.published_or_final_versio

Historical biogeography of Asimina-Disepalum (Annonaceae): origins of tropical intercontinental disjunctions and diversifications in Southeast Asia

Oral Session: Secondary forestsStudies of tropical intercontinental disjunctions, common biogeographical patterns in flowering plants, enable insights into the origin of extant distributions and diversity patterns. We investigate the temporal origin of the Neotropical-Asian disjunction in the Asimina-Disepalum clade of the early-divergent angiosperm family Annonaceae, and temporal congruence with underlying palaeoclimatic and geological processes. Moreover, we aim to identify the geographical origin of Disepalum, and to infer dispersal and vicariance events as well as potentially correlated climate niche differentiation in the evolution of the genus in …postprin

Cross-taxon biogeographic patterns at the Malesian floristic interchange: insights from phylogenetic analyses of species rich Malesian angiosperm genera

Session: BiogeographyMalesia is one of the geologically most dynamic tropical regions in the world. The archipelago’s geological past, characterized by the evolution of an ever-changing mosaic of terrestrial and marine areas throughout the Cenozoic, provides the geographical back...postprin

Time-dependent trapping of pollinators driven by the alignment of floral phenology with insect circadian rhythms

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Molecular phylogenetics of the Dasymaschalon-Desmos-Friesodielsia-Monanthotaxis lineage (Annonaceae)

Oral Presentation - Session 1: Taxonoly & Biosystematic-1Main Theme: Contributions of Flora Malesiana to the Welfare of People in AsiaThe Dasymaschalon-Desmos-Friesodielsia-Monanthotaxis lineage (the ‘desmoid clade’) comprises ca. 170 species of trees, shrubs and woody climbers distributed in tropical Africa and tropical Asia. Although the desmoid clade is very diverse in flower and fruit morphology, phylogenetic relationships of the constituent genera are poorly understood due to the limited taxon sampling and insufficient plasmid DNA data in previous studies. Based on plasmid and nuclear DNA seq...postprin

Evaluating rapid evolutionary radiation in Goniothalamus (Annonaceae)

Oral Presentation - Session 1: Taxonoly & Biosystematic-1Main Theme: Contributions of Flora Malesiana to the Welfare of People in AsiaBoth intrinsic and environmental factors may result in changes in diversification rate in a lineage. Significant shifts in evolutionary tempo, including rapid evolutionary radiation, are of particular interest as they are key to understanding how factors such as the timing of diversifications, species attributes, environmental conditions and the size and complexity of geographical regions have shaped current patterns of biodiversity. The Annonaceae is a species-rich fami...postprin

Generic monophyly of Disepalum (Annonaceae): correlating changes in floral morphology with changes in pollination system in Disepalum

Oral Presentation - Session 2: Taxonoly & Systematics-2Main Theme: Contributions of Flora Malesiana to the Welfare of People in AsiaA taxonomic opinion regarding the delimitation of Disepalum (Annonaceae) has been divided it into: Disepalum s.l. (characterised by pollen octads and monocarps borne on a ‘carpophore’); and Disepalum s.str. (restricted to those species with a calyx of only two sepals and a fused corolla). Three excluded species with typical trimerous floral structure have been placed to another genus Enicosanthellum. Phylogeny of Disepalum s.l. and its related taxa as a framework have been reconstru...postprin

Organ Homologies and Perianth Evolution in the Dasymaschalon Alliance (Annonaceae): Inner Petal Loss and Its Functional Consequences

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A comparison of the cost-effectiveness of treatment of prolonged acute convulsive epileptic seizures in children across Europe

In the majority of children and adolescents with epilepsy, optimal drug therapy adequately controls their condition. However, among the remaining patients who are still uncontrolled despite mono-, bi- or tri-therapy with chronic anti-epileptic treatment, a rescue medication is required. In Western Europe, the licensed medications available for first-line treatment of prolonged acute convulsive seizures (PACS) vary widely, and so comparators for clinical and economic evaluation are not consistent. No European guidelines currently exist for the treatment of PACS in children and adolescents and limited evidence is available for the effectiveness of treatments in the community setting. The authors present cost-effectiveness data for BUCCOLAM® (midazolam oromucosal solution) for the treatment of PACS in children and adolescents in the context of the treatment pathway in seven European countries in patients from 6 months to 18 years. For each country, the health economic model consisted of a decision tree, with decision nodes informed by clinical data and expert opinion obtained via a Delphi methodology. The events modelled are those associated with a patient experiencing a seizure in the community setting. The model assessed the likelihood of medication being administered successfully and of seizure cessation. The associated resource use was also modelled, and ambulance call-outs and hospitalisations were considered. The patient's quality of life was estimated by clinicians, who completed a five-level EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire from the perspective of a child or adolescent suffering a seizure. Despite differences in current therapy, treatment patterns and healthcare costs in all countries assessed, BUCCOLAM was shown to be cost saving and offered increased health-related benefits for patients in the treatment of PACS compared with the current local standard of care