On the Cryptic Speciation in the Mosses with East Asia–East North America Disjunction: A Case Study of Two Poorly Understood Mosses from the Southern Extremity of the Russian Far East

A survey of the moss flora of the southernmost part of the Russian Primorsky Territory yielded several intriguing taxa, whose identity is assessed herein based on an integrative morpho-molecular approach. <i>Bellibarbula recurva</i> was previously known in inland Asia only from the Sino-...

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Main Authors: Vladimir E. Fedosov, Olga Yu. Pisarenko, Alina V. Fedorova, Olga M. Afonina, Elena A. Ignatova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Plants
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/24/3558
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author Vladimir E. Fedosov
Olga Yu. Pisarenko
Alina V. Fedorova
Olga M. Afonina
Elena A. Ignatova
author_facet Vladimir E. Fedosov
Olga Yu. Pisarenko
Alina V. Fedorova
Olga M. Afonina
Elena A. Ignatova
author_sort Vladimir E. Fedosov
collection DOAJ
description A survey of the moss flora of the southernmost part of the Russian Primorsky Territory yielded several intriguing taxa, whose identity is assessed herein based on an integrative morpho-molecular approach. <i>Bellibarbula recurva</i> was previously known in inland Asia only from the Sino-Himalayan region and the new locality is distant from the earlier known ones to ca. 3000 km. Despite the morphological uniformity, Russian specimens are remarkably distinct in sequences of all three obtained DNA markers, approaching an American specimen in the <i>rps4</i> sequence. Another probable relic, <i>Symblepharis</i> cf. <i>crispifolia</i>, appeared to be fairly common in the southern part of the Primorsky Territory, where low mountains are covered with hard-leaved forests. Russian specimens of <i>Symblepharis</i> cf. <i>crispifolia</i> var. <i>brevipes</i> show significant divergence from <i>S. crispifolia</i> s.str., which also has complex phylogenetic structure, obscuring further taxonomic implications. The description and illustrations of both taxa based on Russian specimens are provided, and the area, where both species occur, is briefly characterized; it includes numerous thermophilous species, which are rare or do not occur northwards. Our case study uncovers the problem of cryptic speciation within species distributed in temperate climate and is considered to represent relics of Arcto-Tertiary flora.
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spelling doaj-art-3e9b4181b8d64714b4ff4cc7d4969b6a2025-08-20T02:01:28ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472024-12-011324355810.3390/plants13243558On the Cryptic Speciation in the Mosses with East Asia–East North America Disjunction: A Case Study of Two Poorly Understood Mosses from the Southern Extremity of the Russian Far EastVladimir E. Fedosov0Olga Yu. Pisarenko1Alina V. Fedorova2Olga M. Afonina3Elena A. Ignatova4Geobotany Department, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, RussiaCentral Siberian Botanical Garden, Zolotodolinskaya 101, 630090 Novosibirsk, RussiaTsitsin Main Botanical Garden, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya 4, 127276 Moscow, RussiaKomarov Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Popov Str., 2, 197022 St. Petersburg, RussiaGeobotany Department, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, RussiaA survey of the moss flora of the southernmost part of the Russian Primorsky Territory yielded several intriguing taxa, whose identity is assessed herein based on an integrative morpho-molecular approach. <i>Bellibarbula recurva</i> was previously known in inland Asia only from the Sino-Himalayan region and the new locality is distant from the earlier known ones to ca. 3000 km. Despite the morphological uniformity, Russian specimens are remarkably distinct in sequences of all three obtained DNA markers, approaching an American specimen in the <i>rps4</i> sequence. Another probable relic, <i>Symblepharis</i> cf. <i>crispifolia</i>, appeared to be fairly common in the southern part of the Primorsky Territory, where low mountains are covered with hard-leaved forests. Russian specimens of <i>Symblepharis</i> cf. <i>crispifolia</i> var. <i>brevipes</i> show significant divergence from <i>S. crispifolia</i> s.str., which also has complex phylogenetic structure, obscuring further taxonomic implications. The description and illustrations of both taxa based on Russian specimens are provided, and the area, where both species occur, is briefly characterized; it includes numerous thermophilous species, which are rare or do not occur northwards. Our case study uncovers the problem of cryptic speciation within species distributed in temperate climate and is considered to represent relics of Arcto-Tertiary flora.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/24/3558biogeographybiodiversityDNA barcodingarcto-tertiary flora
spellingShingle Vladimir E. Fedosov
Olga Yu. Pisarenko
Alina V. Fedorova
Olga M. Afonina
Elena A. Ignatova
On the Cryptic Speciation in the Mosses with East Asia–East North America Disjunction: A Case Study of Two Poorly Understood Mosses from the Southern Extremity of the Russian Far East
Plants
biogeography
biodiversity
DNA barcoding
arcto-tertiary flora
title On the Cryptic Speciation in the Mosses with East Asia–East North America Disjunction: A Case Study of Two Poorly Understood Mosses from the Southern Extremity of the Russian Far East
title_full On the Cryptic Speciation in the Mosses with East Asia–East North America Disjunction: A Case Study of Two Poorly Understood Mosses from the Southern Extremity of the Russian Far East
title_fullStr On the Cryptic Speciation in the Mosses with East Asia–East North America Disjunction: A Case Study of Two Poorly Understood Mosses from the Southern Extremity of the Russian Far East
title_full_unstemmed On the Cryptic Speciation in the Mosses with East Asia–East North America Disjunction: A Case Study of Two Poorly Understood Mosses from the Southern Extremity of the Russian Far East
title_short On the Cryptic Speciation in the Mosses with East Asia–East North America Disjunction: A Case Study of Two Poorly Understood Mosses from the Southern Extremity of the Russian Far East
title_sort on the cryptic speciation in the mosses with east asia east north america disjunction a case study of two poorly understood mosses from the southern extremity of the russian far east
topic biogeography
biodiversity
DNA barcoding
arcto-tertiary flora
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/24/3558
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