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Scott A Mori - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Gustavia esmeraldana and G. gracieae : new species of Lecythidaceae from northwestern Ecuador and a key to species of Gustavia in Ecuador
    Phytotaxa, 2019
    Co-Authors: Xavier Cornejo, Scott A Mori
    Abstract:

    Gustavia esmeraldana and G. gracieae, two new species of Lecythidaceae known from northwestern Ecuador, are described. Gustavia esmeraldana occurs in the lowlands of the Province of Esmeraldas between 250–650 m and Gustavia gracieae is known from the western side of Pichincha Province between 1250–1700 m. These species are illustrated and their relationships with related species are discussed. A key to the species of Gustavia known from Ecuador is presented.

  • Eschweilera compressa (Vell.) Miers (Lecythidaceae): a new record of a threatened plant species in Espírito Santo state, Brazil
    Check List, 2016
    Co-Authors: Michel Ribeiro, Scott A Mori, Anderson Alves-araújo, Geovane De Souza Siqueira, Ariane Luna Peixoto
    Abstract:

    This paper provides the first record of Esch­weilera compressa (Lecythidaceae) in Espirito Santo state, Brazil. According to IUCN criteria and the Brazilian government, this species is assigned as Critically Endangered globally and Endangered nationally, respectively. Herein, E. compressa is regionally assigned as Critically Endangered in Espirito Santo, Brazil, which is justified by urban expansion, a small area of occupancy, as well as its occurrence outside protected areas. A brief description, distribution map, and images of the species are presented.

  • A new species of Eschweilera (Lecythidaceae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
    Phytotaxa, 2016
    Co-Authors: Michel Ribeiro, Scott A Mori, Anderson Alves-araújo, Ariane L. Peixoto
    Abstract:

    Eschweilera sphaerocarpa (Lecythidaceae) is described here as a new species for science. It is closely related to Eschweilera complanata . Due to an area of occupancy of less than 10 km² this species is regarded as endangered according to the standards of the IUCN. This paper provides a description, illustration and, comments on geographic distribution and ecology. Additionally, a diagnostic key to the species of Eschweilera section Tetrapetala is provided.

  • Conservation assessment of Lecythidaceae from eastern Brazil
    Kew Bulletin, 2016
    Co-Authors: Nathan P. Smith, Scott A Mori, Wayne Law, Michel Ribeiro
    Abstract:

    This work evaluates the conservation status of the 22 species of Lecythidaceae native to eastern Brazil. Assessments based on current IUCN criteria, distribution maps, and an identification key to the native and non-native species from the area are provided. The results of this study suggest that over half of the species are threatened (vulnerable or endangered), four species should be added to the IUCN Red List, and the status of seven species currently on this list should be changed. It was found that nearly all collections of endangered species are from or occur within 20 km of a reserve, which clearly shows that protected areas are of vital importance for the survival of most endangered Lecythidaceae from this region.

  • Lecythis marcgraaviana (Lecythidaceae), an overlooked species from eastern Brazil
    Kew Bulletin, 2016
    Co-Authors: Nathan P. Smith, Scott A Mori, Geovane S. Siqueira, Domingos A. Folli
    Abstract:

    Lecythis marcgraaviana (Lecythidaceae), a species previously placed in synonymy of L. pisonis, is resurrected and described in detail for the first time. A neotype, discussion of the history of this species, taxonomic notes, images, and an identification key to the species of the Lecythis pisonis clade from eastern Brazil are provided. This tree or shrub occurs in coastal Atlantic Forest between the states of Espirito Santo and Rio Grande do Norte. Morphologically, L. marcgraaviana is most similar to L. lanceolata and L. pisonis.

Hugh D. Wilson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Christopher W. Dick - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Diversification History of Neotropical Lecythidaceae, an Ecologically Dominant Tree Family of Amazon Rain Forest
    Neotropical Diversification: Patterns and Processes, 2020
    Co-Authors: Oscar M. Vargas, Christopher W. Dick
    Abstract:

    The Neotropical subfamily of Lecythidaceae (Lecythidoideae) is a clade of 10 genera with an estimated number of 232 species. Lecythidaceae is the third most abundant family of trees in Amazon forests, and its most diverse genus, Eschweilera (ca. 100 species) is the most abundant genus of Amazon trees. In this chapter we explore the diversification history of the Lecythidoideae through space and time in the Neotropics. We inferred a time-calibrated phylogeny of 118 species, which we used to reconstruct the biogeographic origins of Lecythidoideae and its main clades. To test for significant changes of speciation rates in the subfamily, we performed a diversification analysis. Our analysis dated the crown clade of Lecythidoideae at 46 Ma (95% CI = 36.5–55.9 Ma) and the stem age at 62.7 Ma (95% CI = 56.7–68.9 Ma), suggesting dispersal from the paleotropics long after the Gondwana breakup. Most major crown clades in the Lecythidoideae (Grias, Gustavia, Eschweilera, Couroupita, Couratari, and all Lecythis and Eschweilera subclades) differentiated during the Miocene (ca. 5.3–23 Ma). The Guayana floristic region (Guiana Shield + north-central Amazon) is the inferred ancestral range for 8 out of the 18 Lecythidoideae clades (129 species, ~55%), highlighting the region’s evolutionary importance, especially for the species-rich Bertholletia clade, which includes the genera Eschweilera, Lecythis, Corythophora and Bertholletia. Our results indicate that the Bertholletia clade colonized the Trans-Andean region at least three times in the last 10 Ma. We found no significant changes in the rate of diversification inside Lecythidoideae over the Cenozoic, and found no evidence of increased speciation during the Pleistocene. Lecythidoideae has diversified not in pulses, but in a pattern of steady accumulation, akin to a museum model of diversification.

  • Target sequence capture in the Brazil nut family (Lecythidaceae): Marker selection and in silico capture from genome skimming data.
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2019
    Co-Authors: Oscar M. Vargas, Myriam Heuertz, Stephen A. Smith, Christopher W. Dick
    Abstract:

    Abstract Reconstructing species trees from multi-loci datasets is becoming a standard practice in phylogenetics. Nevertheless, access to high-throughput sequencing may be costly, especially with studies of many samples. The potential high cost makes a priori assessments desirable in order to make informed decisions about sequencing. We generated twelve transcriptomes for ten species of the Brazil nut family (Lecythidaceae), identified a set of putatively orthologous nuclear loci and evaluated, in silico, their phylogenetic utility using genome skimming data of 24 species. We designed the markers using MarkerMiner, and developed a script, GoldFinder, to efficiently sub-select the best makers for sequencing. We captured, in silico, all designed 354 nuclear loci and performed a maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis on the concatenated sequence matrix. We also calculated individual gene trees with maximum likelihood and used them for a coalescent-based species tree inference. Both analyses resulted in almost identical topologies. However, our nuclear-loci phylogenies were strongly incongruent with a published plastome phylogeny, suggesting that plastome data alone is not sufficient for species tree estimation. Our results suggest that using hundreds of nuclear markers (i.e. 354) will significantly improve the Lecythidaceae species tree. The framework described here will be useful, generally, for developing markers for species tree inference.

  • Complete Plastome Sequences From Bertholletia excelsa and 23 Related Species Yield Informative Markers for Lecythidaceae
    Applications in Plant Sciences, 2018
    Co-Authors: Ashley M. Thomson, Oscar M. Vargas, Christopher W. Dick
    Abstract:

    Premise of the study The tropical tree family Lecythidaceae has enormous ecological and economic importance in the Amazon basin. Lecythidaceae species can be difficult to identify without molecular data, however, and phylogenetic relationships within and among the most diverse genera are poorly resolved. Methods To develop informative genetic markers for Lecythidaceae, we used genome skimming to de novo assemble the full plastome of the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa) and 23 other Lecythidaceae species. Indices of nucleotide diversity and phylogenetic signal were used to identify regions suitable for genetic marker development. Results The B. excelsa plastome contained 160,472 bp and was arranged in a quadripartite structure. Using the 24 plastome alignments, we developed primers for 10 coding and non-coding DNA regions containing exceptional nucleotide diversity and phylogenetic signal. We also developed 19 chloroplast simple sequence repeats for population-level studies. Discussion The coding region ycf1 and the spacer rpl16-rps3 outperformed plastid DNA markers previously used for barcoding and phylogenetics. Used in a phylogenetic analysis, the matrix of 24 plastomes showed with 100% bootstrap support that Lecythis and Eschweilera are polyphyletic. The plastomes and primers presented in this study will facilitate a broad array of ecological and evolutionary studies in Lecythidaceae.

  • Complete plastome sequence from Bertholletia excelsa and 23 related species yield informative markers for Lecythidaceae
    2017
    Co-Authors: Ashley M. Thomson, Oscar M. Vargas, Christopher W. Dick
    Abstract:

    The tropical tree family Lecythidaceae has enormous ecological and economic importance in the Amazon basin. Lecythidaceae species can be difficult to identify without molecular data, however, and phylogenetic relationships within and among the most diverse genera are poorly resolved. To develop informative genetic markers for Lecythidaceae, we used genome skimming to assemble de novo the full plastome of the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa) and 23 other Lecythidaceae species. Indices of nucleotide diversity and phylogenetic signal were used to identify regions suitable for genetic marker development. The B. excelsa plastome contained 160,472 bp and was arranged in a quadripartite structure. Using the 24 plastome alignments, we developed primers for 10 coding and non-coding DNA regions containing exceptional nucleotide diversity and phylogenetic signal. We additionally developed 19 chloroplast simple sequence repeats (cpSSRs) for population-level studies. The coding region ycf1 and the spacer rpl16-rps3 outperformed plastid DNA markers previously used for barcoding and phylogenetics. Used in a phylogenetic analysis, the matrix of 24 plastomes showed with 100% bootstrap support that Lecythis and Eschweilera are polyphyletic. The plastomes and primers presented in this study will facilitate a broad array of ecological and evolutionary studies in Lecythidaceae.

Myriam Heuertz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Marcelo Fragomeni Simon - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • A checklist of Lecythidaceae in the upper Madeira River, Rondônia, Brazil with comments on diversity and conservation
    Brittonia, 2017
    Co-Authors: Fernanda Silveira Catenacci, Marcelo Fragomeni Simon
    Abstract:

    The Lecythidaceae or Brazil Nut family are ubiquitous in non-flooded lowland forests of the Amazon, where they are indicative of well-preserved or little-disturbed habitats. A recent checklist of the Brazilian flora reported 10 genera and 119 species for that country, of which 104 are found in the Amazon region. However, the botanical knowledge in many regions of the country remains far from complete. This study aimed to analyze the diversity of Lecythidaceae in the upper Madeira River region in Rondônia, an area where botanical data is scarce. Lecythidaceae collections deposited in the CEN, INPA and RON herbaria were examined, and four field expeditions in the study area were carried out. For that region, we recorded 37 species of Lecythidaceae belonging to 7 genera: Eschweilera (21 species), Couratari (6), Cariniana (3), Gustavia (3), Allantoma (2), Bertholletia (1) and Lecythis (1). Among these species, five are listed as threatened in the IUCN Red List. The total number of species found in the upper Madeira River of Rondônia alone is higher than the 28 species reported to date for the entire state of Rondônia in the Brazilian Flora Checklist (Smith et al., 2015 ), and adds 13 new records of Lecythidaceae for the state. Considering that this study is restricted to the northern part of the state, our results suggest that the number of Lecythidaceae species in Rondônia is severely underestimated. Our findings highlight the need for more intensive floristic studies in the Amazon region, which should target areas that are botanically unexplored but have high biodiversity potential. Such studies will provide valuable information to support both taxonomic studies and species conservation assessments. As Lecythidaceae, família da castanha-do-brasil, são ubíquas em florestas de terras baixas não inundáveis da Amazônia, onde são indicadoras de ambientes bem preservados ou pouco perturbados. Uma lista recente das espécies da flora do Brasil registrou 10 gêneros e 119 espécies para o país, das quais 104 são encontradas na região Amazônica. Porém, o conhecimento botânico em várias regiões do país permanece incompleto. Esse estudo tem como objetivo analisar a diversidade de Lecythidaceae na região do alto rio Madeira em Rondônia, uma área onde o conhecimento botânico é escasso. Coletas de Lecythidaceae depositadas nos herbários CEN, INPA e RON foram examinadas, e foram realizadas quatro expedições na área de estudo. Foram registradas para a região 37 espécies de Lecythidaceae pertencentes a 7 gêneros: Eschweilera (21 espécies), Couratari (6), Cariniana (3), Gustavia (3), Allantoma (2), Bertholletia (1) e Lecythis (1). Dentre essas espécies, cinco são listadas como ameaçadas na Lista Vermelha da IUCN. O número total de espécies encontradas apenas no alto rio Madeira em Rondônia é maior do que as 28 espécies registradas para todo o estado de Rondônia na Lista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil (Smith et al., 2015 ), e acrescenta 13 novos registros de Lecythidaceae para o estado. Considerando que esse estudo se restringe à parte norte do estado, nossos resultados sugerem que o número de espécies de Lecythidaceae para Rondônia encontra-se extremamente subestimado. Nossos resultados ressaltam a necessidade de realização de estudos florísticos intensivos na região Amazônica, os quais devem focar em áreas pouco exploradas botanicamente, mas com alto potencial para biodiversidade. Esses estudos poderão gerar informações relevantes para subsidiar tanto estudos taxonômicos quanto avaliação do estado de conservação de espécies.

  • A checklist of Lecythidaceae in the upper Madeira River, Rondônia, Brazil with comments on diversity and conservation
    Brittonia, 2017
    Co-Authors: Fernanda Silveira Catenacci, Marcelo Fragomeni Simon
    Abstract:

    The Lecythidaceae or Brazil Nut family are ubiquitous in non-flooded lowland forests of the Amazon, where they are indicative of well-preserved or little-disturbed habitats. A recent checklist of the Brazilian flora reported 10 genera and 119 species for that country, of which 104 are found in the Amazon region. However, the botanical knowledge in many regions of the country remains far from complete. This study aimed to analyze the diversity of Lecythidaceae in the upper Madeira River region in Rondonia, an area where botanical data is scarce. Lecythidaceae collections deposited in the CEN, INPA and RON herbaria were examined, and four field expeditions in the study area were carried out. For that region, we recorded 37 species of Lecythidaceae belonging to 7 genera: Eschweilera (21 species), Couratari (6), Cariniana (3), Gustavia (3), Allantoma (2), Bertholletia (1) and Lecythis (1). Among these species, five are listed as threatened in the IUCN Red List. The total number of species found in the upper Madeira River of Rondonia alone is higher than the 28 species reported to date for the entire state of Rondonia in the Brazilian Flora Checklist (Smith et al., 2015), and adds 13 new records of Lecythidaceae for the state. Considering that this study is restricted to the northern part of the state, our results suggest that the number of Lecythidaceae species in Rondonia is severely underestimated. Our findings highlight the need for more intensive floristic studies in the Amazon region, which should target areas that are botanically unexplored but have high biodiversity potential. Such studies will provide valuable information to support both taxonomic studies and species conservation assessments.