NEW RESEARCH WORK ON THE DIVERSIFICATION OF MICROMERIA (LAMIACEAE) FEATURED ON THE COVER OF ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION

The study carried out by an international team that includes CIBIO-InBIO researchers Pamela Puppo and Manuel Curto on the genetic structure of Micromeria in Tenerife has made the cover of the June issue of the prestigious scientific journal Ecology and Evolution.

The work developed by the researchers aimed to assess the genetic diversity and structure of this genus in the Canary Islands, by screening several microsatellite markers on ca. 290 samples including the eight species present in this region. The research team found that the species restricted to the older parts of Tenerife showed lower levels of genetic diversity and higher levels of genetic differentiation, which suggests that their distribution might have contracted over time.

This study reports the deep influence of the geological history on insular flora of the Canary Islands, also suggesting that species boundaries might be conserved despite hybridization in response to the specific conditions of different island habitats, opening new avenues for further research studies on the diversification of these species.

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