Congruent species delineation of Tulasnella using multiple loci and methods

Understanding evolutionary and ecological processes requires accurate delimitation of species. Species are most commonly defined under the general lineage concept (GLC), where they are considered to be segments of diverging population-level lineages (de Queiroz, 2007). Within the umbrella of the GLC, various species concepts have been developed, including the morphological species concept (MSC), the biological species concept (BSC) and the phylogenetic species concept (PSC). The BSC is characterized by species representing populations that potentially can interbreed. The PSC includes the genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition concept, which uses phylogenetic concordance of multiple unlinked genes to identify evolutionary independence of lineages (Taylor et al., 2000). PSC is applied frequently in taxonomic groups where it is difficult to quantify morphological variation or perform mating studies. One such group is Tulasnella, a group of fungi where morphological identification of species is problematic.