Molecular phylogenies of figs and their pollinator wasps

We collected and analysed nucleotide sequence and protein electrophoretic data in order to estimate phylogenies of figs and fig-pollinating wasps at several taxonomic scales. The relatively conserved chloroplast gene coding rbCl allowed the estimation of the taxonomic position of Ficus relative to other genera within the Moraceae. Further, in conjunction with chloroplast tRNA spacer genes, rbcL sequences allowed the partial resolution of the phylogenetic associations of fig species from different parts of the world with representatives from all the recognized subgenera of Fiats. The phylogeny of the corresponding wasp species that pollinate most of those taxa was estimated using mitochondrial COI-COII and 12S ribosomal genes. At a fine scale, the phylogenies of species within two subgenera of figs growing in Panama (Urostigma, and Pharmacosycea) were estimated by using protein electrophoretic data. The phylogeny of the corresponding pollinator wasp species was estimated using COII sequence data. Although we need to extend the taxa sampled and augment the molecular database, the host and pollinator phylogenies show a high degree of congruence and the results support the predominance of strict-sense coevolution between figs and their pollinator wasps at both global and fine scales.