Multigene Phylogenetic Analyses to Delimit New Species in Fungal Plant Pathogens

Supporting the identification of unknown strains or specimens by sequencing a genetic marker commonly used for phylogenetics or DNA barcoding is now standard practice for mycologists and plant pathologists. Does one have a new species when a strain differs by a few base pairs when compared to reference sequences from taxonomically well-characterized species that do not differ morphologically from this new strain? If variation at the intra- and interspecific levels for the locus used for identification is already understood for all the closely related species, it is possible to make a reliable prediction of a new species status, but ultimately this question can only be properly addressed by determining the presence or absence of gene flow among a group of strains of the putative new species and strains of previously delimited species. The Phylogenetic Species Concept (PSC) and its assessment using multigene phylogeny and Genealogical Concordance Phylogenetic Species Recognition (GCPSR) are the basis for this chapter. The theoretical framework and a variety of tools to apply these concepts are explained, to assist in the assessment of whether a species is distinct or new when confronted with some sequence divergence from reference data.