Australian biogeographical connections and the phylogeny of large genera in the plant family Myrtaceae

Abstract

Aim: To compare the phylogeny of the eucalypt and melaleuca groups with geological events and ages of fossils to discover the time frame of clade divergences. Location: Australia, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Indonesian Archipelago. Methods: We compare published molecular phylogenies of the eucalypt and melaleuca groups of the plant family Myrtaceae with geological history and known fossil records from the Cretaceous and Cenozoic. Results: The Australasian eucalypt group includes seven genera, of which some are relictual rain forest taxa of restricted distribution and others are species-rich and widespread in drier environments. Based on molecular and morphological data, phylogenetic analyses ..