Phylogeographic analysis of neotropical palms: Syagrus botryophora Mart. and s. pseudococos (Raddi) Glassman

• Grant number: 14/17656-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: January 01, 2015
• End date: December 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Phytogeography
• Principal Investigator: José Rubens Pirani
• Grantee: Euder Glendes Andrade Martins
• Supervisor: Christopher William Dick
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Michigan, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/06444-0 - Phylogeography and conservation of two endemic palm trees of the Atlantic Forest: Syagrus botryophora Mart. and Syagrus pseudococos (Raddi) Glassman (Arecaceae), BP.DR

Abstract

Syagrus species are interesting components for phylogeographic studies, the interesting distribution patterns documented in several species and the high frequency of populations, which can portray even small stories associated with diversification mechanisms suggested by various theories, such as the forest refuge theory Pliocene-Pleistocene and other recent cases. This study aims to determine the genetic structure and phylogeographic patterns in Syagrus botryophora Mart. and S. pseudococos (Raddi) Glassman, through access to the complete chloroplast genome using the technique of Next-Generation Sequencing. One hope with these data contribute to the understanding of evolutionary processes involved in the generation of high species diversity of this biome, and thus provide strategies for conservation of forest areas with natural populations of the species under study. Its importance lies in the need for knowledge about the palm trees, one of the groups of importance of the neotropical flora, especially of flora, including the "hotspot" Mata Atlântica, because Arecaceae has not received proportionate attention in terms of biogeographical studies of structure phylogeographic and population genetics. This makes this pioneering research of phylogeographic patterns in Brazilian palms study and in particular the gender Syagrus. (AU)