The age of major monocot groups inferred from 800+ rbcL sequences

Phylogenetic research on monocots has been extraordinarily active over the past years. With the familial interrelationships being sufficiently understood, the question of divergence times and crown node ages of major lineages comes into focus. In this study we present the first attempt to estimate crown and stem node ages for most orders and families of monocots, based on rbcL sequence data and comprehensive taxon sampling. From our analysis it is obvious that considerable monocot diversification took place during the Early Cretaceous, with most families already present at the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary. Araceae, Arecaceae and Orchidaceae are among the oldest families with crown node ages reaching back into the Early Cretaceous. We comment on possible error sources and the necessity for methodological improvement in molecular dating. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 146, 385–398.