Molecular insights into the evolutionary history of plants in Antarctica

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• Elise Biersma, 3rd yr grad
• Thursday 14 May 2015, 13:30-14:00
• Department of Plant Sciences, Large Lecture Theatre.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Megan Cooper.

How long has life persisted on Antarctica? Glaciological reconstructions estimate that thick ice sheets covered most terrestrial areas of Antarctica during the Last Glacial Maximum (~22–18ka), as well as previous glaciations, suggesting no life could have survived on land during these periods. However, recent studies show most groups of the contemporary Antarctic terrestrial biota have a hundred thousand to multi-million year persistence on the continent. The most dominant group of Antarctic flora – the bryophytes (mosses) – seem to stand distinct from these patterns. Their low species number, low endemism levels, and distribution patterns suggest that today’s moss biota are recent colonists. Alternatively, bryophytes may have a long persistence in Antarctica, but their presence has previously been underestimated. Here, focusing on the cosmopolitan species Bryum argenteum, we present the first evidence of long-term in situ persistence of mosses in Antarctica. Using population genetic methods, we found the first evidence for multi-million year persistence of bryophytes in Antarctica. This study suggests that, despite low endemism levels, mosses may have had a much longer persistence in the Antarctic than previously thought.

This talk is part of the Plant Sciences Departmental Seminars series.

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