Premium
Chemical dichotomies in the Magnolialean complex
Author(s) -
Gottlieb O. R.,
Kaplan M. A. C.,
Kubitzki K.,
Barros J. R. Toledo
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
nordic journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.333
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1756-1051
pISSN - 0107-055X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1756-1051.1989.tb00520.x
Subject(s) - biology , dichotomy , camouflage , evolutionary biology , diversification (marketing strategy) , botany , zoology , epistemology , philosophy , marketing , business
The most characteristic chemosystematic feature of the Magnolialean families (here delineated to include the Magnoliiflorae plus Piperales in the sense of Dahlgren, 1983) is the rich diversification of two groups of secondary metabolities, the neolignans and benzylisoquinolines. From a survey of their distribution it becomes apparent that several shifts have led to the predominance of one of these two groups or their mutual exclusion in these families. Biogenetic considerations and correlation with morphological advancement suggest the evolutionary primacy of neolignans over benzylisoquinolines, but it is assumed that the capacity to produce both groups of substances must be very old. Apparently the presumed loss of benzylisoquinolines in various small families such as the Himantandraceae and Calycanthaceae has triggered the evolution of novel classes of compounds in compensation. Chemical changes leading to dissimilarities between sister groups as described in this paper may camouflage natural relationships.