Morphological evolution and classification of the red algal order Ceramiales inferred using plastid phylogenomics

Abstract

The order Ceramiales contains about one third of red algal diversity and it was classically classified into four families according to morphology. The first phylogenies based on one or two molecular markers were poorly supported and failed to resolve these families as monophyletic. Nine families are currently recognized, but relationships within and among them are poorly understood. We produced a well-resolved phylogeny for the Ceramiales using plastid genomes for 80 (28 newly sequenced)representative species of the major lineages. Three of the previously recognized families were resolved as independent monophyletic lineages: Ceramiaceae, Wrangeliaceae and Rhodomelaceae. By contrast, our res..