AFLP markers as a tool to reconstruct complex relationships: A case study in Rosa (Rosaceae)

Area of Science:

• Botany
• Evolutionary Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• The genus Rosa exhibits a complex evolutionary history.
• Factors contributing to this complexity include hybridization, rapid radiation, incomplete lineage sorting, and polyploidy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the utility of Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships within the genus Rosa.
• To clarify the taxonomic status of certain subgenera and sections within Rosa.

Main Methods:

• Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using UPGMA clustering, Wagner parsimony, and Bayesian inference.
• Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers were employed for genome-wide sampling.

Main Results:

• Phylogenetic trees were well-resolved, though deeper branches showed weak support.
• Rose cultivars clustered into European and Oriental groups, linked to distinct wild species.
• Taxonomic revisions proposed: Hulthemia and Platyrhodon lack subgeneric status, sect. Carolinae should merge with sect. Cinnamomeae, and sect. Caninae is paraphyletic due to the monophyly of subsection Rubigineae.

Conclusions:

• AFLP markers are highly effective for resolving species relationships in evolutionarily complex genera like Rosa.
• Bayesian inference is a valuable alternative to parsimony analysis for AFLP data.
• The study provides a refined understanding of rose evolutionary history and taxonomy.