MiFungi: Phylogenetic Analysis of Selected Taxa from PUP MycoNema's Compendium of Fungal Pathogens and Parasitic Nematodes

The evolutionary relationships among four (4) different Fusarium species and a Colletotrichum species as the ingroup taxa, and a Curvularia species as the outgroup taxon based on chosen morphological characteristics were investigated through character matrix and cladogram construction. Morphological characteristics including the colony color, colony texture, macroconidia color, microconidia color, number of septa (if present), and the presence of chlamydospores among the chosen species were carefully observed and recorded to create a comprehensive data set, forming the basis of this cladistic analysis. Using the information depicted on the matrix, a cladogram was constructed to infer monophyletic relationships and propose a hierarchical classification system. The resulting cladogram revealed plesiomorphic and homoplasious characters and suggested common ancestry among certain micro-fungi species. It provided insights into the evolution of specialized structures and highlighted the evolution of derived characters after the divergence of both ingroup and outgroup taxa. Despite the limitations of the analysis, such as the sample size and characters used, the character matrix and cladogram construction provided valuable insights into the evolutionary relationships of the chosen species. These methods serve as essential tools for unraveling the complex evolutionary history, biodiversity, and conservation of micro-fungi species present in fields.