Orchid Phylogenomics, Trait Evolution and Diversification Dynamics

Orchidaceae are the second largest family of flowering plants with over 27,800 species and 750 genera, with many horticulturally highly prized species. Orchids have evolved atremendous diversity in morphological, anatomical, cytogenetic, physiological, and ecological traits, including those promoting highly specialized mycorrhizal and plant-pollinator relationships, with multiple independent origins of phenomena such as mycoheterotrophism, sexually deceptive pollination, and evolution of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism.

Understanding the drivers of this exceptional diversity requires well-resolved phylogenies and reliable diversification time estimates to facilitate interpretation of diversification dynamics within a temporal framework. However, resolving evolutionary relationships in orchids has been challenging due to complexities such as hybridization, chloroplast capture, and whole-genome duplications as well as shallow genetic divergence in rapidly diversifying lineages. High-throughput sequencing approaches, such as target enrichment, in combination with advanced bioinformatics analyses, now enables us to disentangle complex evolutionary relationships, yielding more robust phylogenies to interrogate trait evolution and diversification dynamics in orchids in the context of past environmental and climatic changes.

This Research Topic aims to advance our understanding of trait evolution and diversification dynamics in Orchidaceae. We invite submission of Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Methods, Perspectives, and Opinions covering the following topics with respect to orchids: phylogenomics, inter- and intraspecific relationships, and trait evolution, including but not limited to morphological, karyotypic, physiological, phytochemical, genomic, and ecological traits, divergence time estimation, and diversification dynamics. Phylogenomic studies which shed new light on range evolution or molecular systematics are also welcome.

Keywords: orchid, orchidaceae, phylogenomics, evolution, diversity, diversification

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