Diatoms of North AmericaDescription: Directional selection is a form of evolutionary change in which an extreme feature of a population is favored and, over time, the population changes to increasingly express that extreme. This talk will explore a paleolimnological record from June Lake California, in which the size of an endemic species of Stephanodiscus increases over less than 3000 years. The talk will explore the nature of the diatom sexual cycle and discuss potential drivers of directional selection using diatom fossil assemblage characteristics and other paleolimnological information observed in the lake record.
Target Audience: Our intended audience are those people interested in diatom taxonomy, species concepts, the diatom sexual cycle, paleolimnology, and the implications of long-term changes in diatom populations through evolution.
