Phylogeny and Molecular Evolution of Tricyrtis (Liliaceae s.l.) Inferred from Plastid DNA matK Spacer Nucleotide Sequences

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Tricyrtis (Liliaceae s.l.) have been investigated using data from two non-coding plastid DNA nucleotide sequences using a classical parsimony-based approach in order to provide ground work for further Bayesian inference research. Parsimony-based studies do not involve temporal and spatial information unlike MCMC (Markov chain Monte Carlo) methods. However, well-established phylogeny and age calibration information play vital roles in estimation of molecular evolutionary rate and divergence times in lineages. The evolutionary rate estimates from the matK spacer in Tricyrtis lineages were similar to those in our previous report on rps16 intron data. In the near future different evolutionary model systems will be tested in order to clarify evolutionary rate estimations in various flowering plants including medicinal herbs.