Naming diversity in an evolutionary context: Phylogenetic definitions of the Roucela clade (Campanulaceae/Campanuloideae) and the cryptic taxa within

Ecol Evol. 2017 Sep 20;7(21):8888-8894. doi: 10.1002/ece3.3442. eCollection 2017 Nov.

Abstract

In recent times, evolution has become a central tenet of taxonomy, but nomenclature has consistently been decoupled from the tree-thinking process, often leading to significant issues in reconciling traditional (Linnaean) names with clades in the Tree of Life. Recent evolutionary studies on the Roucela clade, a group of endemic plants found in the Mediterranean Basin, motivated the establishment of phylogenetic concepts to formally anchor clade names on the Campanuloideae (Campanulaceae) tree. These concepts facilitate communication of clades that approximate traditionally defined groups, in addition to naming newly discovered cryptic diversity in a phylogenetic framework.

Keywords: Campanulaceae; Mediterranean; PhyloCode; clade definition; phylogenetic nomenclature.