<p>The present study is concerned with the evolutionary relationships among the Euasterids II, a group of angiosperms that includes the orders Apiales, Aquifoliales, Asterales, and Dipsacales together with several small, poorly known families yet unplaced as to order.</p><p>Parsimony analysis of nucleotide sequence data from the chloroplast genes <i>atp</i>B, <i>ndh</i>F and <i>rbc</i>L together with morphological data are used to construct a phylogeny of the order Asterals, which in the present sense includes 11 families and more than 26 000 species. It is argued that Rousseaceae should be expanded to include also Carpodetaceae (and thus contain four genera), and that <i>Donatia</i> should be re-merged with Stylidiaceae. The present study also strongly supports that the sister taxon to the largest plant family, Asteraceae (Compositae), is the small South American Calyceraceae. A new addition to Asterales is <i>Platyspermation</i> (formerly in Escalloniaceae).</p><p>Using the recently developed Bayesian approach to phylogenetic reconstruction, in combination with a dataset consisting of the <i>atp</i>B, <i>ndh</i>F and <i>rbc</i>L nucleotide sequences, a resolved and fairly well supported phylogeny of the Euasterids II could be reconstructed. Based on this analysis, and furthermore supported by morphological characters, the South Hemispheric family Escalloniaceae is recircumscribed to include the monogeneric families Eremosynaceae, Tribelaceae and Polyosmaceae, and in this new circumscription it includes seven genera. The formerly escalloniacean member <i>Quintinia</i>, together with the monogeneric families Paracryphiaceae and Sphenostemonaceae, is argued to consitute a monophyletic family Paracryphiaceae <i>sensu lato</i>, supported by several morphological characters.</p>

The present study is concerned with the evolutionary relationships among the Euasterids II, a group of angiosperms that includes the orders Apiales, Aquifoliales, Asterales, and Dipsacales together with several small, poorly known families yet unplaced as to order. Parsimony analysis of nucleotide sequence data from the chloroplast genes atpB, ndhF and rbcL together with morphological data are used to construct a phylogeny of the order Asterals, which in the present sense includes 11 families and more than 26 000 species. It is argued that Rousseaceae should be expanded to include also Carpodetaceae (and thus contain four genera), and that Donatia should be re-merged with Stylidiaceae. The present study also strongly supports that the sister taxon to the largest plant family, Asteraceae (Compositae), is the small South American Calyceraceae. A new addition to Asterales is Platyspermation (formerly in Escalloniaceae). Using the recently developed Bayesian approach to phylogenetic reconstruction, in combination with a dataset consisting of the atpB, ndhF and rbcL nucleotide sequences, a resolved and fairly well supported phylogeny of the Euasterids II could be reconstructed. Based on this analysis, and furthermore supported by morphological characters, the South Hemispheric family Escalloniaceae is recircumscribed to include the monogeneric families Eremosynaceae, Tribelaceae and Polyosmaceae, and in this new circumscription it includes seven genera. The formerly escalloniacean member Quintinia, together with the monogeneric families Paracryphiaceae and Sphenostemonaceae, is argued to consitute a monophyletic family Paracryphiaceae sensu lato, supported by several morphological characters.

Tristichopterids (Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha) form a monophyletic group of exclusively Devonian fishes. This thesis consists of descriptions of new material of tristichopterids and closely related taxa, as well as new interpretations and descriptions of previously figured material. Redescribed specimens were originally figured as far back as 1861, and publications as old as this are almost always of limited use as anatomical and systematical references, in addition to being difficult to acquire. The possibility of using new techniques and new theoretical frameworks also provides good justification for taking a second look at such specimens. In the case of this thesis, this includes the use of computed tomography scanning methods, and the cladistic approach to describing the interrelationships of taxa. The thesis includes a complete taxonomy of valid tristichopterid taxa, in addition to two new phylogenetic analyses incorporating the taxa that were described or redescribed. One of the analyses deals with the interrelationships of taxa along the entire tetrapod stem, and establishes the monophyly of the Tristichopteridae. The other analysis focuses on tristichopterid interrelationships. An account is given of evolutionary trends within Tristichopteridae, and instances of parallel evolution between tristichopterids and other tetrapodomorph groups are discussed. The biogeographical implications of tristichopterid occurences world-wide seem to corroborate the picture provided by other vertebrate groups, and give further support to one of two main hypotheses concerning the relative positions of Gondwana and Laurussia, the two major palaeocontinents during the Late Devonian. The supported hypothesis proposes a close proximity between southern Laurussia and northwestern Gondwana, as evidenced by the wide dispersal of derived tristichopterids by the Late Devonian. A Laurussian origin of tristichopterids is proposed.

<p><i>Echiochilon</i>, <i>Ogastemma</i> and <i>Sericostoma</i> are revised resulting in the recognition of 15 species of <i>Echiochilon</i> and one <i>Ogastemma</i> species. Several species are placed in synonymy and three new species are described, <i>E. baricum</i>, <i>E. callianthum</i> and <i>E. cyananthum</i>. The single species of <i>Sericostoma</i> is shown to be nested within <i>Echiochilon</i>.</p><p>The plastid <i>atpB</i> gene was sequenced for <i>Echiochilon</i> and <i>Ogastemma</i> from the Old World and <i>Antiphytum</i> from the New World, plus for a selection of 33 other Boraginaceae taxa. They were analysed together with selected outgroup taxa to give a framework of the tribes of Boraginoideae. The analysis gave support for establishing the new tribe Echiochileae for <i>Antiphytum</i>, <i>Echiochilon</i> and <i>Ogastemma</i>, and for merging the traditionally accepted tribe Eritrichieae with Cynoglosseae. The ITS region was sequenced for all but one species of <i>Echiochilon</i> and for representatives of <i>Antiphytum</i> and <i>Ogastemma</i>. Phylogenetic analysis of Echiochilon revealed that the strongly zygomorphic-flowered species form a paraphyletic group. The morphological data gave results fairly congruent with the ITS phylogeny.</p><p>Biogeographic interpretations of the ITS and <i>atpB</i> phylogenies indicated a trans-Atlantic dispersal of <i>Antiphytum</i> as the most plausible explanation to the Old/New World disjunction. Analyses using DIVA (Dispersal Vicariance Analysis) of the distributions of the <i>Echiochilon</i> species indicated an ancestor to <i>Echiochilon</i> with a wide distribution over northern Africa and Arabia to India.</p>

<p>I use morphological, vocal, molecular, behavioural, ecological and distributional data to re-evaluate the systematics of three passerine bird groups, the <i>Mirafraassamica </i>complex (bush-larks), the genus <i>Seicercus</i> ("spectacled-warblers"; with emphasis on the the <i>S. burkii</i> complex) and the genus <i>Motacilla</i> (wagtails). Two new species are described: <i>Seicercus soror</i> and <i>Motacilla samveasnae</i>. I propose that the polytypic species <i>M. assamica</i> should be treated as four separate species: <i>M. assamica</i>, <i>M. affinis</i>, <i>M. microptera</i> and <i>M. marionae</i> (it is also remarked that the proper name of the latter is <i>M. erythrocephala</i>). That is primarily supported by vocalisations and mitochondrial DNA. The latter data set also suggests that <i>M. assamica</i> sensu lato is paraphyletic, since <i>M. erythroptera</i>, which is always treated as a separate species, is nested within the <i>M. assamica</i> complex. I propose that the polytypic species <i>S. burkii</i> comprises six sibling species. Some of these are found to breed sympatrically, although mainly or entirely segregated altitudinally. Mitochondrial DNA suggests that the <i>S. burkii</i> complex is non-monophyletic, and also that the divergence of the different taxa is much older than indicated by morphological and vocal data. According to the molecular phylogeny, both the genera <i>Seicercus</i> and its assumed sister genus <i>Phylloscopus</i> are paraphyletic. That is corroborated by independent data. The phylogenetic study of the genus <i>Motacilla</i> reveals incongruence between mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA and non-molecular data. I conclude that the nuclear gene tree reflects the organismal phylogeny more faithfully than the mitochondrial gene tree. The latter is likely to have been affected by introgressive hybridisation, possibly also stochastic lineage sorting. The most remarkable result that is strongly supported by both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA is that <i>M. flava</i> is non-monophyletic.</p>

<p>This thesis deals with evolutionary relationships within the asterids, a group of plants comprising about one-third of all flowering plants.</p><p>Two new families are recognised: Pennantiaceae and Stemonuraceae. The woody <i>Pennantia</i> from New Zealand and Australia is the sole genus of Pennantiaceae. Stemonuraceae consist of a dozen woody genera with a pantropical distribution and a centre of diversity in South East Asia and the Malesian islands. They are characterised by long hairs on their stamens and/or fleshy appendages on their fruits. Both families were formerly included in Icacinaceae. While Pennantiaceae are unrelated to any of the former Icacinaceae and placed in the order Apiales, other former Icacinaceae genera are related to <i>Cardiopteris</i>, a twining herb from South East Asia and Malesia. The monogeneric family Cardiopteridaceae is enlarged as to include also these. Cardiopteridaceae and Stemonuraceae are sister groups and placed in Aquifoliales. The three other families of Aquifoliales are monogeneric and closely related. The Asian Helwingiaceae and the Central/South American Phyllonomaceae are suggested to be merged into Aquifoliaceae (hollies). The genera of Icacinaceae in the traditional sense not placed in any of the above families (all euasterids II) are members of early diverging lineages of the euasterids I and possibly included in the order Garryales.</p><p>The three woody Australasian families Alseuosmiaceae, Argophyllaceae, and Phellinaceae are confirmed as members of Asterales, despite traditional placements not close to that order. They are, moreover, supported as each other’s closest relatives.</p><p>The results are based mainly on parsimony analysis of DNA sequence data, but morphological studies have revealed characters in support for the molecularly based conclusions. The gene that has provided most new information is the chloroplast <i>ndh</i>F gene. The results are, however, drawn from combined analyses of sequences from one or several additional genes (<i>atp</i>B, <i>mat</i>K, <i>rbc</i>L, <i>18S</i> rDNA). The data have also been explored with Bayesian analysis, a statistical, model-based method that most recently has been developed for phylogeny reconstruction.</p>

Echiochilon, Ogastemma and Sericostoma are revised resulting in the recognition of 15 species of Echiochilon and one Ogastemma species. Several species are placed in synonymy and three new species are described, E. baricum, E. callianthum and E. cyananthum. The single species of Sericostoma is shown to be nested within Echiochilon. The plastid atpB gene was sequenced for Echiochilon and Ogastemma from the Old World and Antiphytum from the New World, plus for a selection of 33 other Boraginaceae taxa. They were analysed together with selected outgroup taxa to give a framework of the tribes of Boraginoideae. The analysis gave support for establishing the new tribe Echiochileae for Antiphytum, Echiochilon and Ogastemma, and for merging the traditionally accepted tribe Eritrichieae with Cynoglosseae. The ITS region was sequenced for all but one species of Echiochilon and for representatives of Antiphytum and Ogastemma. Phylogenetic analysis of Echiochilon revealed that the strongly zygomorphic-flowered species form a paraphyletic group. The morphological data gave results fairly congruent with the ITS phylogeny. Biogeographic interpretations of the ITS and atpB phylogenies indicated a trans-Atlantic dispersal of Antiphytum as the most plausible explanation to the Old/New World disjunction. Analyses using DIVA (Dispersal Vicariance Analysis) of the distributions of the Echiochilon species indicated an ancestor to Echiochilon with a wide distribution over northern Africa and Arabia to India.

I use morphological, vocal, molecular, behavioural, ecological and distributional data to re-evaluate the systematics of three passerine bird groups, the Mirafraassamica complex (bush-larks), the genus Seicercus ("spectacled-warblers"; with emphasis on the the S. burkii complex) and the genus Motacilla (wagtails). Two new species are described: Seicercus soror and Motacilla samveasnae. I propose that the polytypic species M. assamica should be treated as four separate species: M. assamica, M. affinis, M. microptera and M. marionae (it is also remarked that the proper name of the latter is M. erythrocephala). That is primarily supported by vocalisations and mitochondrial DNA. The latter data set also suggests that M. assamica sensu lato is paraphyletic, since M. erythroptera, which is always treated as a separate species, is nested within the M. assamica complex. I propose that the polytypic species S. burkii comprises six sibling species. Some of these are found to breed sympatrically, although mainly or entirely segregated altitudinally. Mitochondrial DNA suggests that the S. burkii complex is non-monophyletic, and also that the divergence of the different taxa is much older than indicated by morphological and vocal data. According to the molecular phylogeny, both the genera Seicercus and its assumed sister genus Phylloscopus are paraphyletic. That is corroborated by independent data. The phylogenetic study of the genus Motacilla reveals incongruence between mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA and non-molecular data. I conclude that the nuclear gene tree reflects the organismal phylogeny more faithfully than the mitochondrial gene tree. The latter is likely to have been affected by introgressive hybridisation, possibly also stochastic lineage sorting. The most remarkable result that is strongly supported by both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA is that M. flava is non-monophyletic.

This thesis deals with evolutionary relationships within the asterids, a group of plants comprising about one-third of all flowering plants. Two new families are recognised: Pennantiaceae and Stemonuraceae. The woody Pennantia from New Zealand and Australia is the sole genus of Pennantiaceae. Stemonuraceae consist of a dozen woody genera with a pantropical distribution and a centre of diversity in South East Asia and the Malesian islands. They are characterised by long hairs on their stamens and/or fleshy appendages on their fruits. Both families were formerly included in Icacinaceae. While Pennantiaceae are unrelated to any of the former Icacinaceae and placed in the order Apiales, other former Icacinaceae genera are related to Cardiopteris, a twining herb from South East Asia and Malesia. The monogeneric family Cardiopteridaceae is enlarged as to include also these. Cardiopteridaceae and Stemonuraceae are sister groups and placed in Aquifoliales. The three other families of Aquifoliales are monogeneric and closely related. The Asian Helwingiaceae and the Central/South American Phyllonomaceae are suggested to be merged into Aquifoliaceae (hollies). The genera of Icacinaceae in the traditional sense not placed in any of the above families (all euasterids II) are members of early diverging lineages of the euasterids I and possibly included in the order Garryales. The three woody Australasian families Alseuosmiaceae, Argophyllaceae, and Phellinaceae are confirmed as members of Asterales, despite traditional placements not close to that order. They are, moreover, supported as each other’s closest relatives. The results are based mainly on parsimony analysis of DNA sequence data, but morphological studies have revealed characters in support for the molecularly based conclusions. The gene that has provided most new information is the chloroplast ndhF gene. The results are, however, drawn from combined analyses of sequences from one or several additional genes (atpB, matK, rbcL, 18S rDNA). The data have also been explored with Bayesian analysis, a statistical, model-based method that most recently has been developed for phylogeny reconstruction.