Format: ORAL

Khalid Aldhuwaib1, Alastair Culham1

1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, United Kingdom

Cyclamen is a genus of 23 perennial flowering plants belonging to the Primulaceae family valued both horticulturally and evolutionarily. Cyclamen species are found throughout Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, from the Caucasus to Iran, with one species found in Somalia. However, despite its significance, understanding the underlying genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among Cyclamen species remains a challenge. Here, we investigate plastid single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using paired-end sequencing data in order to unravel the complex evolutionary relationships and variation among Cyclamen species. These SNPs were subjected to strict filtering criteria to ensure robustness and reliability in subsequent analyses and to remove low quality and false positive calls. Our findings could provide pivotal insights for future studies and conservation efforts, as well as a deeper understanding of the evolutionary history forming this genus. Phylogenetic methods and network analyses based on plastid SNPs would enable assessment of genetic structuring and species delimitation concordant with earlier morphological and molecular classifications.