Diversification of chiles (Capsicum, Solanaceae) through time and space: new insights from genome-wide RAD-seq data.

CARRIZO GARCÍA C.; BARBOZA G.E.; PALOMBO N.; WEISS-SCHNEEWEISS H.

Frontiers in Genetics

Frontiers Media S.A.

Año: 2022 vol. 13

1664-8021

Capsicum L.encompasses 43 American species, including the five domesticatedworldwide consumed sweet and hot chiles. This study presents new,updated and age-calibrated phylogenetic hypothesis on the genusevolution incorporating nearly all currently accepted Capsicumspecies. A new model of spatial diversification of Capsicum isproposed based on analyses of several thousands of genome-wideRAD-seq derived SNPs. Maximum likelihood approaches were used toreconstruct phylogenies and to estimate dates of all major splits.Ancestral ranges were inferred and diversification events weremodeled in a time frame using a Bayesian approach. Nine cladescorresponding to genetically and (mostly) geographically welldefinedlineages, which diversified starting around mid-upper Miocene, wererecovered with strong support. The Northern and Central Andes wereinferred to represent the most likely ancestral range of the genusCapsicum. A few early vicariant and dispersal events were estimatedto have driven the geographic divergence of the main Capsicum clades.Each lineage was inferred to have diversified within a distinctregion of South America and expanded geographically to differentextent. Extant species diversification was inferred to have begun atthe beginning of Pliocene and continued through the Pleistocene. TheCentral Andes, represented mainly by the territory of present-dayBolivia, were proposed to play a central role in the diversificationof lineages comprising domesticated capsicums and their wild allies.The genome-wide approach allowed for high resolution and support ofdeep phylogenetic nodes providing novel insights into the affinitiesof major lineages and clades as well as on the geographic expansionof Capsicum. This study provides the first dated evolutionary historyof the genus encompassing most of the chile species diversity.p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 115% }