Kessous et al. 2021 (Article) Fossils

A 100-Million-Year Gap in the Knowledge of the Evolutionary History of Bromeliaceae: A Brief Review of Fossil Records

Author(s):—I.M. Kessous, B. Neves, F. Salgueiro & A.F.d. Costa

Publication:—Feddes Repertorium 132: 20–27. (2021) — DOI

Abstract:—Bromeliaceae arose in the Early Cretaceous, diverging from Typhaceae at ca. 125 Ma. After
an apparent evolutionary stasis of 100 million years, they have undergone a high diversification
starting in the Miocene. By adding fossils to the phylogenies, one can infer dates of arising
and the divergence of lineages and link them to geological and climatic events. The use
of reliable fossils, therefore, can greatly impact the results and interpretation of bromeliads
evolution. Here, we present a literature review of the fossils assigned to Bromeliaceae and
discuss the gap in the knowledge of these plants’ evolutionary history in the light of the poor
fossil record. Our survey shows that Karatophyllum bromelioides, from the Pleistocene, is the
only reliable fossil among the few fossils assigned to the group. Protananaceae has been
proposed since 2005 as a sister group of Bromeliaceae; however, no work has corroborated
this placement so far. The lack of information in fossil records contributes to the unsolved
evolutionary questions between the rise and diversification of the bromeliads. These aspects
influence molecular clock calibration and consequently phylogenetic and biogeographical
inferences, requiring an alternative calibration. Additional findings may improve our knowledge
by revealing new macro/microfossils for Bromeliaceae.

Keywords:—Aechmea, Bromelioideae, Karatophyllum, Palaeobotany, Protananaceae