Simultaneous diversification of Polypodiales and angiosperms in the Mesozoic

Comprising about 82% of the extant fern species diversity, Polypodiales are generally believed to have diversified in the Late Cretaceous. We estimated the divergence times of Polypodiales using both penalized likelihood and Bayesian methods, based on a dataset consisting of 208 plastomes representing all 28 families and 14 fossil constraints reflecting current interpretations of fossil record. Our plastome phylogeny recovered the same six major lineages as a recent nuclear phylogeny, but the position of Dennstaedtiineae was different. The present phylogeny showed high resolution of relationships among the families of Polypodiales, especially among those forming the Aspleniineae. The divergence time estimates supported the most recent common ancestor of Polypodiales and its closest relative dating back to the Triassic, establishment of the major lineages in the Jurassic, and a likely accelerated radiation during the late Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous. The estimated divergence patterns of Polypodiales and angiosperms converge to a scenario in which their main lineages were established simultaneously shortly before the onset of the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution, and further suggest a pre-Cretaceous hidden history for both lineages. The pattern of simultaneous diversifications shown here elucidate an important gap in our understanding of the Terrestrial Revolution that shaped today's ecosystems.