Abstract
Karyotypic diversity is critical to catalyzing change in the evolution of all plants. By resulting in meiotic incompatibility among sets of homologous chromosomes, polyploidy and aneuploidy may facilitate reproductive isolation and the potential for speciation. Across plants, karyotypic variants in the form of allopolyploids receive greater taxonomic attention relative to autopolyploids and aneuploids. In particular, the prevalence and significance of autopolyploidy and aneuploidy in bryophytes is little understood. Using Fritsch’s 1991 compendium of bryophyte karyotypes with augmentation from karyological studies published since, we have quantified the prevalence of karyotypic variants among ~1500 extant morphological species of mosses. We assessed the phylogenetic distribution of karyological data, the frequency of autopolyploidy and aneuploidy, and the methodological correlates with karyotypic diversity. At least two ploidy levels were recorded from 17% of species potentially increasing current taxonomic diversity of mosses to over 15,000 species. We find that for a given species, the number of unique karyotypes recorded is correlated with the number of populations sampled. The evidence suggests that cytological diversity likely underlies yet undescribed species diversity in mosses, and that intensive karyological sampling is a needed tool for its discovery.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
At least two ploidy levels were recorded in 17% of moss species.
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Verbatim
e0“At least two ploidy levels were recorded from 17% of species potentially increasing current taxonomic diversity of mosses to over 15,000 species”
Claim · model-written summary
Karyotype diversity could raise moss taxonomic diversity to over 15,000 species.
Verbatim
e0“potentially increasing current taxonomic diversity of mosses to over 15,000 species”
Claim · model-written summary
The number of recorded unique karyotypes per moss species correlated with populations sampled.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“for a given species, the number of unique karyotypes recorded is correlated with the number of populations sampled”
t0“moss species diversity”
Claim · model-written summary
Cytological diversity likely underlies undescribed moss species diversity.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“cytological diversity likely underlies yet undescribed species diversity in mosses”
Claim · model-written summary
Intensive karyological sampling is needed to discover moss species diversity.
Verbatim
e0“intensive karyological sampling is a needed tool for its discovery”
t0“moss species diversity”