International Journal of Molecular Evolution and Biodiversity 2024, Vol.14, No.4, 186-196 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmeb 188 consistent and reliable species delimitation (Hamilton et al., 2014). Similarly, the use of coalescent-based methods has provided statistical support for species boundaries, enhancing the robustness of phylogenetic inferences (Leliaert et al., 2014). 3.3 Genomic approaches Genomic approaches involve the use of high-throughput sequencing technologies to analyze large portions of the genome. These methods offer a comprehensive view of genetic diversity and have the potential to uncover fine-scale population structure and evolutionary history (Leliaert, 2021). For instance, the integration of genomic data with traditional morphological and ecological data has led to the identification of distinct evolutionary units within species complexes, even in the presence of mitonuclear discordance (Papakostas et al., 2016). Genomic approaches also facilitate the identification of chemophenetic markers, which can provide additional insights into species delimitation. The use of untargeted metabolomics, combined with genomic data, has been shown to distinguish taxa based on chemophenetic markers at various levels of complexity, offering a more nuanced understanding of species boundaries (Figure 1) (Peters et al., 2023). The integration of molecular data through DNA barcoding, phylogenetic analysis, and genomic approaches has significantly advanced the field of algal taxonomy. These methods provide a more accurate and comprehensive framework for species delimitation, addressing the limitations of traditional morphological approaches and uncovering hidden biodiversity (Hamilton et al., 2014; Leliaert et al., 2014; Darienko et al., 2015; Papakostas et al., 2016; Leliaert, 2021; Nolasco et al., 2022). Figure 1 Overview of images showing main phenotypic characters of the investigated species (Adopted from Peters et al., 2023) This figure presents a comparative overview of phenotypic characteristics of four species, including Riccia glauca, R. sorocarpa, R. warnstorfii, and Lunularia cruciata (used as an outgroup). The images are organized into several rows, each showing different aspects of the plant’s morphology (Adopted from Peters et al., 2023)
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