Multiple Speciation and Extinction Rate Shifts Shaped the Macro-Evolutionary History of the Genus Lycium Towards a Rather Gradual Accumulation of Species Within the Genus

The Neotropics are the most species-rich region on Earth, and spectacular diversification rates in plants are reported in plants, mostly occurring in oceanic archipelagos, making Neotropical and island plant lineages a model for macro-evolutionary studies. The genus Lycium in the Solanaceae family, originating from the Neotropics and exhibiting a unique disjunct geography across several islands, is therefore expected to experience exceptional diversification events. In this study, we aimed to quantify the diversification trajectories of the genus Lycium to elucidate the diversification events within the genus. We compiled a DNA matrix of six markers on 75% of all the species in the genus to reconstruct a dated phylogeny. Based on this phylogeny, we first revisited the historical biogeography of the genus. Then, we fitted a Compound Poisson Process on Mass Extinction Time model to investigate the following key evolutionary events: speciation rate, extinction rate, as well as mass extinction events. Our analysis confirmed that South America is the origin of the genus, which may have undergone a suite of successive long-distance dispersals. Also, we found that most species arose as recently as 5 million years ago, and that the diversification rate found is among the slowest rates in the plant kingdom. This is likely shaped by the multiple speciation and extinction rate shifts that we also detected throughout the evolutionary history of the genus, including one mass extinction at the early stage of its evolutionary history. However, both speciation and extinction rates remain roughly constant over time, leading to a gradual species accumulation over time.