Molecular dating of Winteraceae reveals a complex biogeographical history involving both ancient Gondwanan vicariance and long‐distance dispersal

A molecular dating analysis of Winteraceae reveals a complex biogeographical history shaped by both ancient Gondwanan vicariance and long-distance dispersal. The study estimates the crown-group age of Winteraceae at 91.2 million years ago (Ma), with a confidence interval ranging from 118 to 67 Ma, providing robust evidence for the origin of Takhtajania perrieri in Madagascar through Gondwanan vicariance—the only angiosperm for which this has been confidently demonstrated. The analysis also identifies sister clades within the Bubbia/Zygogynum group, one from New Caledonia and another including Australian species, including those from Lord Howe Island. This suggests a dynamic interplay of continental rifting, submergence, exhumation, dispersal, and extinctions in shaping the family's distribution.

Thomas, N., Bruhl, J. J., Ford, A., & Weston, P. H. (2014). Molecular dating of Winteraceae reveals a complex biogeographical history involving both ancient Gondwanan vicariance and long‐distance dispersal. Journal of Biogeography, 41(5), 894–904. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12265