Diversification and evolution in the Neotropical rainforest mimosoid genus Zygia (Fabaceae) based on phylogenomics and morphology

The aim of this study is to investigate evolution and diversification in Neotropical legumes.

Focusing on Zygia, phylogeny, divergence times of clades, the role of dispersal as a driver of diversification, and the occurrence of hybridization, introgression and polyploidy will be addressed. The taxonomy and classification of Zygia will be evaluated and updated based on the results. Massive amounts of low-copy genes from the nuclear genome will be produced using targeted enrichment.

Methods include analyses for building dated gene- and species trees, analyses of geographic phylogenetic structure, and analyses detecting reticulation and polyploidy.

Morphological studies of Zygia will be conducted in order to investigate character evolution and to identify diagnostic characters for species. Two years will be spent in the UK with Prof. Toby Pennington (University of Exeter) and Dr.

Gwilym Lewis (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew), who are experts in phylogenomics and phylogeography of legumes, and morphology of legumes, respectively. One year will be spent in Sweden with Prof. Catarina Rydin (Stockholm University), who specializes in macroevolutionary botany. Laboratory work, bioinformatics and analytic work will be conducted at University of Exeter and Stockholm University.

Morphological studies will take place at Kew.

The project will add to the insufficient understanding of diversification in rainforest species, and contribute ample specific knowledge about evolution in Zygia.