The Altingiaceae ("sweet gums") is a well-defined group of trees that shows a classic Asian/ North American disjunct intercontinental biogeographic distribution. The fossil record of Altingiaceae dates back to the Lower Eocene, but its Neogene record is remarkably robust. Based on phylogenetic analysis of molecular sequence data the temperate Liquidambar is paraphyletic with subtropical to tropical Altingia and Semiliquidambar nested within it. Biogeographically, our results demonstrate the complexity of biogeographic migrations throughout the history of Altingiaceae since the Cretaceous, with migration across both the Bering and the North Atlantic land bridges. Our recent work has included a survey of morphological and molecular variation set in a phylogenetic framework, and a study of Neogene fossils. These studies have set the stage for further examining evolutionary and biogeographic mechanisms within Altingiaceae, including morphological stasis.
