Journal of Systematics and Evolution

Comparative phylogeography provides a powerful framework to identify the historical processes shaping biodiversity hotspots by testing whether co-distributed species exhibit shared patterns of diversification. Southeast Asia harbors exceptional biodiversity, yet the extent to which common paleogeographic and climatic drivers have structured diversification across taxa remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the evolutionary history of five widespread Microhyla species complexes distributed across the Indochinese Peninsula and adjacent regions using dense mitochondrial sampling (1,388 individuals) combined with genome-scale ddRAD sequencing (280 individuals). Across all complexes, both approaches recovered multiple lineages and remarkably congruent phylogeographic breaks and contact/intergradation zones associated with major Indochinese regions, including Myanmar, the Tenasserim-Malay Peninsula, southern Vietnam, and northern Vietnam-southern China, supporting the hypothesis that Indochina functions as a mosaic of stable biogeographic units. However, lineage divergence varied substantially among complexes, suggesting that common biogeographic drivers interacted with species-specific demographic histories. Phylogenomic analyses and cyto-nuclear discordance further revealed historical introgression in every complex, indicating that diversification involved both long-term allopatric isolation and reticulate evolution. These findings portray the Indochinese biodiversity hotspot as a dynamic evolutionary system where cycles of fragmentation and reconnection have repeatedly reshaped lineage boundaries. Moreover, the complex phylogeographic structure recovered exemplifies the urgent need for taxonomic revisions, for which genome-scale data provide an essential framework to validate mitochondrial hypotheses and assess admixture patterns for species delimitation. Finally, regions such as the southern Annamites and Tenasserim Hills emerged as recurrent hotspots of genetic diversity across independent lineages, highlighting their importance for conserving not only species/lineage richness but also the evolutionary processes and adaptive potential that sustain biodiversity.

Ancient whole-genome duplications (WGDs) are thought to have played a major role in plant evolution, but robust inference of the patterns and drivers of polyploid establishment through deep time remains challenging. We re-evaluate the recent large-scale study by Chen et al. (2026), which linked polyploid establishment throughout angiosperm evolution to periods of climatic instability and low species richness. We identify five conceptual and methodological issues that substantially affect these conclusions and collectively undermine the proposed temporal and ecological associations. We hope that clarifying these issues will support future efforts to understand the evolutionary role of polyploidy in plant evolution.

Ledebouria, a geophytic herb native genus to Africa and represented by a few species in the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, India and Sri Lanka. For a long time Indian species were named as L. revoluta until recent molecular work clarified African L. revoluta is distinct from Indian and Sri Lankan species. Hence the name L. hyacinthina was resurrected. However, there is no clear molecular or morphological clarification of the different morphotypes and karyotypes observed in various accessions from peninsular India. Since plastid DNA sequence markers failed to detect diversity, we used the high density, low copy number marker set, the Angiosperms353, for phylogenomic analysis of eight accessions and analysed with the same markers from the global dataset from published work. Our analysis shows L. hyderabadensis is a distinct species, whereas other widely distributed Indian accessions under the other name L. hyacinthina are young lineages representing incipient species. Our results indicate that Ledebouria has not diversified enough at the molecular sequence level for the marker set used. The same is also true of the chloroplast sequences.

The climatic transition from Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3) to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) had caused widespread vegetation change. Despite the dynamic equilibrium between vegetation and climate, the specific role of functional composition in vegetation response to climate change was inadequately understood. Here, we analyzed the long-term trajectories of palynological diversity, vegetation coverage and community-weighted-mean (CWM) functional traits based on EH22 pollen record (35-18 cal ka BP) from Erhai Lake, southwestern China. The results disclosed a vegetation transition from temperate deciduous broadleaf forest dominance in late MIS3 to cold coniferous and mixed broadleaved/coniferous forests in LGM. This vegetation dynamic involved functional composition shifts from competitive-driven functional convergence to partial recovery via niche differentiation during the late MIS3, and finally to a low-diversity but functional differentiation state through trait complementarity and diversification strategies during the cold LGM. Our results likely support a function-mediated climate filtering process whereby climate change regulated long-term vegetation dynamics during the MIS3 to LGM transition primarily through shifts in CWM functional composition. These findings underscore the potential of pollen-based trait approaches to reconstruct ecosystem properties and advance our understanding of ecosystem change over decadal to millennial time-scales.

[vrecto] Hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting and climatic oscillations can interact across evolutionary timescales, but their combined effects on plant diversification remain difficult to resolve. We investigated how these processes shaped the origin and geographic structure of Linum bienne, the putative progenitor of cultivated flax. [vrecto]We integrated genus-level Angiosperms353 phylogenomics across Linum with plastome analyses, low-depth nuclear resequencing, demographic inference and environmental niche modelling across the range of L. bienne. This framework allowed us to assess phylogenetic discordance, test for reticulation and reconstruct lineage history through time. [vrecto]Phylogenetic discordance was widespread across our genus-level sampling and largely consistent with incomplete lineage sorting. However, branch-length and maximum-likelihood network analyses detected additional signal of gene flow at the node including L. bienne, cultivated flax and the closest relatives. Within L. bienne, plastid and nuclear data recovered four geographically structured lineages across the species range, with cytonuclear discordance and demographic analyses supporting repeated secondary contact. [vrecto]Our results show that the evolutionary history of L. bienne reflects the interaction between deep reticulation, incomplete lineage sorting and Pleistocene range dynamics. This multiscale perspective highlights L. bienne as a genetically complex species and illustrates how reticulate evolution and climatic change can jointly shape plant diversification.

Zingiberales includes eight morphologically distinctive families, but its family-level backbone has remained unstable, especially around Musaceae, Heliconiaceae, Lowiaceae, and Strelitziaceae. We analysed 1566 low-copy nuclear genes from 52 samples, representing all eight families and Pontederia crassipes as outgroup. Concatenated maximum likelihood and multispecies coalescent analyses recovered the same backbone: ((Zingiberaceae, Costaceae), (Cannaceae, Marantaceae)) is sister to (Musaceae, (Heliconiaceae, (Lowiaceae, Strelitziaceae))). Penalized-likelihood dating placed the sampled crown group in the Late Cretaceous, with several deep family-level divergences occurring on short internodes. Analysis of 1248 rerooted gene trees showed that conflict is concentrated on these deep branches and in several shallow clades. HyDe tests of empirical and simulated matrices, each including 62,475 triples, did not support widespread ancient hybridization among the major family-level lineages after filtering against the simulated null model. The nuclear data recover a stable Zingiberales backbone, and the long-standing instability of several deep nodes is best explained by rapid early divergence and extensive incomplete lineage sorting.

Incomplete information on distributions for a high proportion of the world's plant species together with biases in global biodiversity data mean that current estimates of plant diversity patterns are skewed. A key issue is that current predictions rely on a subset of species that is not representative of all plant species. Here we tested the feasibility of a representative sampling approach for mapping global vascular plant diversity at the finest scale where comprehensive data is available. Using the World Checklist of Vascular Plants as a reference, we generate random samples of species with increasing sample sizes from the global species pool. We compare the diversity patterns retrieved from the samples against the patterns of the reference dataset using spatially weighted correlation coefficients and four different diversity metrics. We find that at the botanical country scale, representative global maps of species and phylogenetic diversity can be created with small numbers of species (~1% [0.2% and 0.4%, respectively]) at the botanical country scale. For effective growth form and family diversity sample sizes encompassing ~20% [19.2% and 19.5%, respectively] of all species are needed. Random samples require markedly fewer species to reach high correlations than when restricting the pool of species to single plant families or genera. We show that when representative samples are used robust inferences of plant diversity patterns can be made from only a small proportion of species.

Oaks (Quercus L.) are among the most ecologically important tree genera in the northern hemisphere, with an intricate evolutionary history reflected in a reticulated phylogeny. Oak diversity has been profoundly shaped by introgression and diversification, yet the Iberian Peninsula remains an understudied natural laboratory for understanding these evolutionary processes. We used RAD-seq to characterize 38 taxa (including nothotaxa) and investigate the evolutionary history of the Iberian white oaks, with an emphasis on hybrid swarms. Results led to a readdressing of Iberian white oak species, expanding our current understanding of the phylogeography of the European Section Quercus. Furthermore, molecular evidence led to the circumscription of two new subsections, reflecting the contrast between typical temperate and Atlantic distributed species (Group A), and the submediterranean marcescent oaks (Group B). The former unveiled the recovery of Q. estremadurensis and a Northwestern Iberian lineage represented by Q. broteroana and Q. orocantabrica as southwestern representatives of the broad European pedunculate oaks (Q. robur s.l.). The latter led to the validation of hybrid swarms, emphasizing the Iberian oak syngameon and the importance of gene flow to oak evolution. Ultimately, our approach advances the understanding of European white oak evolution across different evolutionary scales, establishing the Iberian Peninsula as an important reservoir of oak diversity.

Understanding the relative roles of vicariance and dispersal in shaping diversity and distribution patterns is central to historical biogeography. In this study, we investigate the historical biogeography of the ancient centipede genus Digitipes Attems, 1930 from South and Southeast Asia. First, we determined the phylogenetic position of the genus Digitipes within the Order Scolopendromorpha (n=414) by assembling primary and published sequences (n=30) for two mtDNA markers (COI, 16S) and one nuclear marker (28S) using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference. We further used single-locus and multi-locus coalescent-based species delimitation methods to identify putative species within the genus Digitipes. We then used three fossil calibrations to estimate divergence times in a Bayesian framework, and used the resulting time-calibrated phylogeny for biogeographic analysis in a likelihood framework (BioGeoBEARS). The genus Digitipes was monophyletic with strong support, with SEA lineages nested within the Indian clade and sister to the D. barnabasi species complex from the Western Ghats. D. pruthii, the Eastern Ghats species, was nested with the Western Ghats species clade. A single-locus mPTP-based species-delimitation method suggested the presence of 24 putative species, far exceeding the number of morphologically described species, indicating an underestimation of species diversity. Divergence time estimates suggest that Digitipes began diversifying around 126 mya (100-159 mya), affirming its Gondwanan origin. Time-stratified ancestral area reconstruction suggested that early vicariance, followed by jump dispersal and range expansion, shaped the distribution of the genus Digitipes in South and Southeast Asia. There was one dispersal event from India to Southeast Asia, following a transient land connection between them, around 50 mya, supporting the Out-of-India hypothesis. Additionally, three jump dispersal events and five range expansions explained diversification within peninsular India. Particularly, D. pruthii originated from a jump dispersal event from the Central Western Ghats to the Eastern Ghats around 37 mya. Our results highlight the importance of an integrative taxonomic framework to delineate hidden diversity and to obtain robust species hypotheses for testing biogeographic hypotheses.

Biodiversity aggregators such as GBIF provide unprecedented access to global biodiversity data, yet their representativeness remains uneven across space and taxa. This study examined the spatial and taxonomic structure of global vascular plant data available on GBIF. Six filters were applied to the GBIF vascular plant dataset, resulting in the removal of 54% of all records. Together, the filters explained more than 90% of the identified spatial issues, with duplicate and missing coordinates accounting for most of the variation. A higher number of occurrence records was associated with a greater number of spatial issues. Record distributions became progressively more even at finer taxonomic levels, from orders to species. The time series of occurrences for species, genera, and families increased sharply after 1800 and continued to rise, with no apparent stabilisation. Of the 824 ecoregions covered, 73 accounted for 72% of all occurrence records. These ecoregions spanned all continents but were strongly concentrated in Europe, followed by North America and Oceania. The analyses reveal four key patterns: (1) data volume is positively associated with spatial issues; (2) a small number of taxa account for a large proportion of records, whereas many are represented by relatively few; (3) occurrence data aggregated by GBIF have increased continuously since 1800; and (4) record coverage remains highly uneven across the world's ecoregions. These results highlight the substantial contribution of biodiversity data aggregators to expanding access to biological information while demonstrating the persistent spatial and taxonomic biases that shape their contents. Such biases should be explicitly considered when assessing data completeness and quality and when using aggregated occurrence records to infer global biodiversity patterns.

Hybridization and introgression are thought to play key roles in the formation of biodiversity. However, detecting gene flow between species and understanding reticulation patterns remain challenging, especially in species-rich lineages with complex evolutionary histories. Adiantum is a large fern genus, and ecological studies in Amazonia have found that species identification is often difficult due to morphological similarity and overlapping characteristics among species. Although several hybrids have been described in tropical America, comprehensive studies investigating genetic exchanges in this genus are still lacking. We used chloroplast and nuclear phylogenomic data to examine evolutionary relationships among tropical American Adiantum species. By combining traditional phylogenetic analyses with advanced bioinformatic methods such as HybSeq-based target capture, reference-guided phasing (HybPhaser), and network-based analyses, we found widespread reticulate evolution involving both recent and ancient hybridization events. These were especially common among those species that have been difficult to delineate morphologically. Our findings indicate that reticulate evolution has played an important role in shaping the diversity of neotropical Adiantum, especially within the tetraphyllum lineage. Such widespread hybridization has no doubt contributed to morphological ambiguity and taxonomic challenges. Our integrated analytical approach provides a first attempt at untangling the reticulate evolutionary history in this group, and future studies with additional sampling can be expected to clarify the evolutionary processes further.

Species distribution forecasts commonly overlook intraspecific genetic variation, missing a potentially important mechanism of ecosystem change: climate-driven range shifts among lineages within a species native range. Here we integrate population genomic analysis of 495 individuals, multi-site common garden experiments, and species distribution modeling based on 837 occurrence records for three major genetic lineages of the foundation grass Phragmites australis in China. The octoploid FEAU lineage (haplotype P) exhibits superior heat tolerance (critical temperature Tcrit and T50) and produces significantly greater total biomass in three of four common gardens compared to the cold-adapted CN lineage (tetraploid, haplotypes O/M), which occupies a climatic niche with lower annual mean temperature (Bio1) and mean temperature of the wettest quarter (Bio8). Genomic analyses further reveal bidirectional but asymmetric introgression, with admixed individuals showing a systematic bias toward FEAU ancestry. Under the high-emission scenario (SSP5-8.5) by 2070, projected highly suitable habitat for the FEAU lineage expands by 18.6%, while the CN lineage shows a smaller relative increase. By contrast, the subtropical SW lineage (haplotypes U/I) exhibits limited and stable suitable habitat. These results demonstrate that climate change interacts with intraspecific variation rooted in polyploidy, thermal tolerance, and asymmetric gene flow to drive potential lineage replacement within a native range, a process already suggested by field observations of FEAU expansion in a plateau lake. Our findings argue for integrating evolutionary history and genetic identity into ecological forecasting to better anticipate ecosystem responses under ongoing climate warming.

Understanding how dispersal and vicariance shape species distributions is a central goal in biogeography, yet the role of islands as sources of continental diversity remains poorly resolved. While multiple dispersal routes from the Eurasian continent to the Japanese Archipelago have been proposed, back dispersal from islands to the mainland is rarely documented, particularly in primary freshwater taxa constrained by marine barriers. Here, we investigated the population genetic structure and phylogeographic history of the Japanese stone loach Barbatula oreas, distributed in Hokkaido and Sakhalin, using mtDNA, nDNA, and genome-wide SNP data. We identified two differentiated Northern and Southern lineages within Hokkaido that diverged during the Pleistocene, indicating that geological events such as paleo-catchment reorganization, mountain uplift, and volcanic activity have shaped the present population structure. Ancestral area reconstruction based on mtDNA phylogeny identified Hokkaido as the origin of B. oreas and revealed dispersal from Hokkaido to Sakhalin, indicating back dispersal from islands toward the mainland. This pattern contrasts with the prevailing hypothesis of southward colonization from the continent via Sakhalin to Hokkaido. Additionally, low genetic differentiation between Hokkaido and Sakhalin suggested genetic exchange across the strait, consistent with paleo-catchment reconstruction indicating past catchment connectivity between the regions. These results highlight the combined roles of geological dynamics and sea-level fluctuations in shaping genetic structure, challenge the conventional continent-to-island dispersal paradigm. Moreover, our study demonstrates that island systems can act as biodiversity sources--not merely sinks--and provides a rare empirical example of back dispersal in primary freshwater species.

Premise: Genome skimming (GS) is a cost-effective approach for plant phylogenomics, but its ability to recover informative datasets from different genomic compartments, particularly genome-wide SNPs, remains poorly explored in Solanum. Methods: We evaluated shallow GS for phylogenetic inference in South American prickly Solanum lineages by recovering plastid, mitochondrial, and nuclear datasets, including coding regions and genome-wide SNPs. Phylogenies were inferred using maximum-likelihood and coalescent approaches under different SNP filtering strategies. Results: GS successfully recovered complete plastomes, organellar coding regions, and large SNP datasets, but failed to consistently assemble mitochondrial genomes or recover low-copy nuclear genes. SNP-based analyses, especially from the nuclear genome, produced stable, well-supported phylogenies that were largely congruent across inference methods. In contrast, coding-region datasets, particularly from the mitochondrial genome, showed greater topological discordance, revealing cytonuclear conflict. Discussion: Our results demonstrate that shallow GS is an effective strategy for generating informative SNP datasets for phylogenetic inference in Solanum, despite limitations in recovering complete mitochondrial genomes and low-copy nuclear loci. SNP-based analyses substantially expand the phylogenetic potential of GS, providing a practical and cost-effective alternative for systematic studies.

Determining the correct donor species/lineages of grass-to-grass lateral gene transfer (LGT) is vital for deducing specific donor features that could help inform the mechanism of transfer. This requires a dataset spanning a broad range of species to achieve the phylogenetic resolution necessary for precise donor inference. As grass-to-grass LGT often involves the transfer of multi-gene DNA fragments, they can contain additional sequences that allow for accurate orthologous comparisons, such as nuclear DNA of plastid origin (NUPTs). Here we systematically scan for NUPTs in the genomes of four Alloteropsis semialata accessions, whose LGTs have previously been characterised. Using the abundant Panicoideae chloroplast sequences, we reconstruct NUPT phylogenies and infer two lateral acquisitions: one from Paniceae/Digitaria and another from Andropogoneae/Eremochloa adjacent to a previously identified LGT. We then assembled and included an additional 12 Eremochloa chloroplast genomes in the analysis and showed the likely donor was Eremochloa attenuata. Subsequent short-read mapping from E. attenuata to the nuclear region flanking this NUPT showed consistent coverage across the region, including the previously identified LGT, supporting co-transfer. Overall this study highlights the potential for NUPTs to better identify the donors of grass-to-grass LGT.

AimBiodiversity-rich regions often lack the scientific infrastructure needed to document and curate their own biodiversity, creating inequalities in access to taxonomic reference material. We investigated how biological, institutional, and geopolitical factors shape the retention, extraction, and appropriation of reptile holotypes, the name-bearing specimens upon which species descriptions are based. LocationGlobal. TaxonReptiles. MethodsWe compiled a historical dataset of reptile holotype origins and destinations spanning 1758-2024 to reconstruct long-term patterns of retention and international specimen flows. We then quantified species-level holotype retention, holotype flows between country pairs, and country-level patterns of retention, appropriation, and network centrality for the period 1990-2024, and used generalised linear mixed models to assess the biological, institutional, and geopolitical determinants of these contemporary circulation processes. ResultsAlthough nearly 90% of reptile species described originated in the Global South, less than a quarter of their holotypes remain housed there. Historically, exported holotypes consistently outnumbered retained holotypes on a decadal basis until the early twenty-first century. Retention was promoted by local scientific capacity, institutional infrastructure, collector involvement in species descriptions, and environmental governance. In contrast, extraction was concentrated in highly endemic regions with limited scientific infrastructure and was associated with taxonomic revisions, socioeconomic interest, and disparities in political stability and colonial history. Appropriation of foreign holotypes was greatest in countries with high research investment, strong environmental governance, and historical geopolitical influence. Main conclusionsGlobal patterns of holotype circulation reflect a persistent geography of scientific inequality. The distribution of taxonomic reference material emerges from the interaction of retention, extraction, and appropriation processes, linking local biodiversity discovery to uneven global scientific capacity. Reducing these inequalities will require investments in taxonomic expertise, institutional infrastructure, and governance frameworks that promote more equitable stewardship of biodiversity knowledge and its material foundations.

Annual versus perennial life histories represent a fundamental axis of plant strategy, with empirical evidence showing that the proportion of annuals is greater in hot, arid, or variable climates. Crucially, introduced species, a group that disproportionately includes annuals, are expanding in number and range across the globe. Whether introduced richness is governed by the same climatic controls as native richness remains untested at continental scales. For 19,299 native (12% annual) and 2,802 introduced (34% annual) Australian plant species, we show that native annual richness tracks climate far more tightly than introduced annual richness. Both floras largely follow the global pattern: the annual fraction rises in dry and seasonal climates. However, hotspots of native and introduced annual richness are completely different. Introduced annuals (28% of all annual species) concentrate in wet, populated areas with low precipitation seasonality, whereas native annual richness is fairly evenly distributed, with the highest diversity in the seasonal tropics. The current continental-scale pattern is thus the sum of a long interaction between the native floras life histories and in situ climate, with dynamic, path-dependent introductions layered on top. As introductions and range expansions continue, they will reshape the annual-to-perennial balance along pathways of human influence.

Background and AimsThe evolution of reproductive isolation between previously interbreeding populations is a fundamental driver of plant speciation. Within Amaryllidaceae, Nothoscordum represents an evolutionarily complex genus, characterized by an unusually high incidence of chromosomal rearrangements. During fieldwork, Nothoscordum montevidense and Nothoscordum bonariense were found growing in sympatry, along with individuals exhibiting intermediate morphological traits, suggesting a putative hybrid origin. To test this hypothesis, we employed an integrative approach to characterize the morphologically intermediate specimens and the two sympatric populations. Materials and methodsTo characterize the putative hybrids we have combined morphological, cytogenetic analyses (chromosome counts, CMA/DAPI banding, and FISH) and flow cytometry-based genome size estimation. Phylogenetic relationships and genomic structure were also investigated through Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS), complete chloroplast genome assembly, and comparative repetitive DNA analysis. We also performed species distribution modeling and phenological analyses of the putative parental species. Key ResultsMultiple lines of evidence confirm the hybrid origin of the studied plants. Cytogenetic analyses revealed specimens with 2n = 21 (1C {approx} 33 pg = 32.274 Mbp) and 2n = 25 (1C {approx} 37 pg = 36.186 Mbp), accompanied by meiotic irregularities consistent with interspecific hybridization. Chloroplast genome phylogeny identified N. montevidense (2n = 16, 1C {approx} 25 pg) as the maternal lineage, while GBS data confirmed N. bonariense (2n = 26, 1C {approx} 41 pg) as the paternal contributor and revealed evidence of subsequent backcrossing. Comparative analysis of repetitive DNA showed reduced 35S rDNA diversity in the hybrid, indicative of post-hybridization genomic restructuring. Despite the observed genomic complexity, no clear morphological differentiation was detected among hybrid individuals. Phenological analyses and species distribution models demonstrated broad overlap between parental species. ConclusionsOur findings highlight the role of hybridization in shaping genome architecture in cytogenetically labile plant lineages. Furthermore, our results underscore that morphological similarity can mask profound genomic complexity, reinforcing the value of integrative approaches to understand genera characterized by reticulate evolution and genomic instability.

BackgroundThe tribal classification of scarab dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) is currently largely incomplete due to the lack of robust phylogenetic evidence supporting the assignment of many Afro-Eurasian and American genera to tribes. MethodsWe used ultraconserved elements (UCEs) to infer phylogenetic relationships across most Afro-Eurasian dung beetle lineages, including 25 of the 27 extant genera currently incertae sedis. ResultsWe recovered full support for the monophyly of previously recognised tribes and for several phylogenetically and morphologically clearly delimited new tribal-level clades, allowing us to propose a complete tribal classification for all Afro-Eurasian dung beetle genera. Thirteen new tribes are described and diagnosed: Aphengoecini trib. nov., Bohepilissini trib. nov., Catharsiini trib. nov., Chalconotini trib. nov., Circelliini trib. nov., Dwesasilvasedini trib. nov., Haroldiini trib. nov., Heliocoprini trib. nov., Janssensantini trib. nov., Macroderini trib. nov., Nesovinsoniini trib. nov., Pycnopanelini trib. nov. and Tanzanolini trib. nov. The tribe Coprini sensu novo is redefined as comprising three subtribes: Coprina, Onychothecina subtrib. nov. and Pedariina subtrib. nov. The tribe Odontolomini is downranked to a subtribe of Endroedyolini sensu novo, becoming Endroedyolini Odontolomina stat. nov. The tribe Onthophagini sensu novo is redefined and divided into three subtribes: Helictopleurina stat. nov., Oniticellina stat. nov. and Onthophagina; the remaining former subtribes of Oniticellini (Attavicinina, Drepanocerina and Liatongina) are synonymised with Oniticellina; the subtribe Alloscelina of Onthophagini is synonymised with Onthophagina (syn. nov.). The tribe Panelini stat. rev. and sensu novo, comprising the single genus Panelus, is revalidated and redefined. Updated morphological diagnoses of Elassocanthonini, Gymnopleurini, Onitini and Scarabaeini are provided. The genus Phaedotrogus is synonymised with Haroldius (Haroldiini) (syn. nov.). An identification key to all Afro-Eurasian dung beetle tribes is provided. DiscussionOur results establish a robust phylogenetic framework and revised tribal classification for Afro-Eurasian Scarabaeinae dung beetles, providing a foundation for future taxonomic, comparative and macroevolutionary research.

Sinia rhodoleuca, the sole species of the monotypic genus Sinia (Ochnaceae), was previously transferred to Sauvagesia based mainly on morphological similarities. However, its phylogenetic position has remained unresolved because molecular data for the species were unavailable. Here, we generated genomic data for Sinia rhodoleuca and reconstructed its phylogenetic position within Sauvagesieae. Our phylogenomic analyses consistently recovered Sinia rhodoleuca as sister to Indosinia, whereas the Neotropical Sauvagesia formed a distantly related lineage, rendering Sauvagesia broadly circumscribed non-monophyletic. Comparative morphological evidence further supports the close relationship between Sinia and Indosinia, particularly in their closely parallel secondary veins, lacerate stipules, and prominent petaloid staminodes, while differences in floral characters support their recognition as distinct genera. We therefore reinstate Sinia as a distinct genus and provide a revised taxonomic treatment of Sinia rhodoleuca. Our study demonstrates how phylogenomic evidence can resolve long-standing taxonomic uncertainties and reveal evolutionary relationships obscured by morphological similarity.