Molecular Characterization of Fungi

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing complexity of the species concept, as well as the particularities of the speciation process and evolution in fungi demand the integration of genetic analysis and phenotype-based studies to build an accurate taxonomy. While genetic barcoding and database-guided identifications provide a useful automated approach to classify samples from diverse sources, weighting changes in variability through phylogenetic analysis is necessary to infer reproductive isolation processes between closely related lineages and estimate divergence times of the supraspecific ranks. The amount of information analyzed and its quality are critical to provide reliable conclusions. Integrative taxonomy complements the informativeness and computability of genetic sequences with phenotype data obtained from morphology, ecology and biogeography, in order to evidence ongoing evolutionary trends and provide optimal tools for taxonomic decisions.

This Special Issue welcomes original manuscripts integrating genetic studies and phenotype data to resolve the phylogenetic status of fungal taxa, as well as research focusing on methodological aspects of integrative taxonomy.

Dr. Pablo Alvarado
Prof. Dr. María P. Martín
Guest Editors

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