Journal of Phylogenetics & Evolutionary Biology

Plastid Phylogenomics and Species Discrimination: Exploring the Power of Genomic Data

Abstract

Romero De Fassil* and Maria F. Caranova

Plastid phylogenomics has emerged as a powerful tool for studying evolutionary relationships and resolving taxonomic uncertainties in various organisms. Plastids, being semi-autonomous organelles with their own genomes, provide a wealth of genetic information that can be harnessed to elucidate phylogenetic relationships and discriminate between closely related species. This manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of the applications and advancements in plastid phylogenomics for species discrimination. We discuss the principles of plastid genome organization, the methodologies employed in plastid phylogenomics, and the significant contributions of plastid phylogenomics towards species discrimination. We also highlight the challenges and future prospects of this rapidly evolving field.