| Abstract Detail
Systematics Taylor, John W. [1]. Fungal species recognition is being challenged by next-generation-sequencing and fungal generic concepts are being challenged by the new nomenclatoral code. In principle, biology should lead taxonomy and taxonomy should lead nomenclature. One biological development brought about by technical innovations and one nomenclature development brought about by political action are reshaping fungal taxonomy. On the biological side, next-generation-sequencing, NGS, is raising two taxonomic issues that challenge phylogenetic species recognition, one issue results from population genomics and the other stems from amplicon sequencing. Population genomics threatens to greatly inflate the number of genetically and phenotypically differentiated taxa, i.e., species, and NGS amplicon sequencing is vastly increasing the number of operational taxonomic units, or OTUs.  On the nomenclatoral side, just as NGS is causing mycologists to reexamine species recognition, the new Melbourne Code is causing mycologists to question generic concepts. Where the distribution of anamorphic and teleomorph names is equal, i.e., where each clade bears a unique anamorph and teleomorph name, the question is purely nomenclatoral, i.e., which name to use? Where there is an asymmetry in the application of names, i.e., where one type covers more phylogenetic territory than the other, nomenclature can trump biology as the arbiter of taxonomy. Examples will be drawn from recent studies of well-studied fungi in the genera Coccidioides, Neurospora and Aspergillus. These issues about the appropriate size of taxa are not confined to species and genera, examples will be provided from the naming of fungal subclasses and even phyla.
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1 - University of California, Plant and Microbial Biology, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3102, USA
Keywords:
nomenclature
Taxonomy
NGS (next-generation sequencing).
Presentation Type: Offered Paper - Paper
Session: 2
Location: Auditorium/Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center
Date: Monday, June 9th, 2014
Time: 9:30 AM
Number: 2005
Abstract ID:218
Candidate for Awards:None |
