Using Nuclear Genomic Data to Address Intractable Relationships and Gene Tree Discordance in an Ancient Group of Gymnosperms (Ephedra, Gnetales)
Ruben Blokzijl, Catarina Rydin · 2026
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Description
Ruben Blokzijl and Catarina Rydin present a 2026 phylogenomic study of Ephedra, an ancient gymnosperm genus whose family tree has long resisted agreement. They gathered a large set of nuclear low-copy genes using a bait set designed for the group.
Before building trees, the authors checked for copied genes, shuffling within genes, and mixed sequences that could mislead the analysis. Those problems turned out to have limited effect, though cleaning them sharpened the results. A solid tree split the genus into American, Mediterranean, and Asian groups, with the first two as closest relatives. Many branches still showed clashing gene trees, which the authors link to incomplete lineage sorting and possibly past hybrid mixing.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Ruben Blokzijl, Catarina Rydin |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 99638 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |