The phylogeny of mosses – Addressing open issues with a new mitochondrial locus: Group I intron cobi420

Mosses are an ancient clade of land plants, set apart from the two other monophyletic groups of bryophytes, the liverworts and the hornworts. Different molecular data sets seem to converge towards a consensus backbone phylogeny of mosses. Nevertheless, for some crucial nodes open questions remain, which obviously require additional phylogenetic information. We here report that a group I intron in the mitochondrial cob gene (cobi420) is universally conserved in the mosses, including basal genera such as Sphagnum and Takakia. Well resolved phylogenetic trees were obtained for 56 mosses of wide phylogenetic sampling, e.g. supporting a placement of Drummondia branching after the genera Timmiella and Catoscopium basal in the Dicranidae. Taxon gaps have been filled in the previously established data sets nad5i753, nad2i156, the nad5-nad4 intergenic region and chloroplast rbcL and rps4 genes. A concatenated 6-loci analysis suggests reconsideration of a Funariidae concept which includes Gigaspermaceae but leaves the isolated genus Timmia at the radiation of arthrodontous mosses unresolved.