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From Algae To Angiosperms – Inferring The Phylogeny Of Green Plants ( Viridiplantae ) From 360 Plastid Genomes, Brad Ruhfel, Matthew Gitzendanner, Paula Soltis, Douglas Soltis, J. Burleigh

Brad R. Ruhfel

Background

Next-generation sequencing has provided a wealth of plastid genome sequence data from an increasingly diverse set of green plants (Viridiplantae). Although these data have helped resolve the phylogeny of numerous clades (e.g., green algae, angiosperms, and gymnosperms), their utility for inferring relationships across all green plants is uncertain. Viridiplantae originated 700-1500 million years ago and may comprise as many as 500,000 species. This clade represents a major source of photosynthetic carbon and contains an immense diversity of life forms, including some of the smallest and largest eukaryotes. Here we explore the limits and challenges of inferring a comprehensive green …