Savanna fire and the origins of the ‘underground forests’ of Africa

Summary The origin of fire‐adapted lineages is a long‐standing question in ecology. Although phylogeny can provide a significant contribution to the ongoing debate, its use has been precluded by the lack of comprehensive DNA data. Here, we focus on the ‘underground trees’ (=geoxyles) of southern Africa, one of the most distinctive growth forms characteristic of fire‐prone savannas. We placed geoxyles within the most comprehensive dated phylogeny...