Electrophoretic evidence of relationships among quercus oaks of eastern north america
Guttman, S.I.; Weigt, L.A.
Canadian Journal of Botany 67(2): 339-351
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4026 DOI: 10.1139/b89-050
Accession: 007294472
An evaluation of electrophoretic analysis as a potential tool for elucidating systematic relationships of Quercus utilized 478 trees representing 10 species from subgenus Erythrobalanus [Q. falcata, Q. rubra, Q. marilandica, Q. shumardii, Q. velutina, Q. nigra, Q. laurifolia, Q. phellos, Q. imbricaria, Q. palustris] and 8 from subgenus Quercus [Q. alba, Q. prinus, Q. macrocarpa, Q. muehlenbergii, Q. lyrata, Q. stellata, Q. bicolor, Q. virginiana]. Leaf tissue was used to resolve 18 putative genetic loci representing 12 enzyme systems in each taxon. Subgeneric differentiation was apparent with intrasubgeneric genetic differentiation (mean modified Rogers' distance (D): Erythrobalanus 0.27; Quercus 0.44) being less than between subgenera (D = 0.68). Relationships among species within subgenera derived from electrophoretic data often compared well with published affinities. However, several discrepancies existed that might reflect disparities in rates of morphological, ecological, and allozymic divergence, or hybridization within subgenera, or both. Electrophoretic analysis of oak leaf tissue has the potential to yield valuable data fro elucidating relationships among Quercus.