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SUMMARY:Molecular insights into the evolutionary history of plants in Anta
 rctica - Elise Biersma\, 3rd yr grad
DTSTART:20150514T123000Z
DTEND:20150514T130000Z
UID:TALK58777@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Megan Cooper
DESCRIPTION:How long has life persisted on Antarctica? Glaciological recon
 structions estimate that thick ice sheets covered most terrestrial areas o
 f Antarctica during the Last Glacial Maximum (~22–18ka)\, as well as pre
 vious glaciations\, suggesting no life could have survived on land during 
 these periods. However\, recent studies show most groups of the contempora
 ry Antarctic terrestrial biota have a hundred thousand to multi-million ye
 ar persistence on the continent. The most dominant group of Antarctic flor
 a – the bryophytes (mosses) - seem to stand distinct from these patterns
 . Their low species number\, low endemism levels\, and distribution patter
 ns 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.\nHere\, focusing on the cosmopolitan 
 species Bryum argenteum\, we present the first evidence of long-term in si
 tu persistence of mosses in Antarctica. Using population genetic methods\,
  we found the first evidence for multi-million year persistence of bryophy
 tes in Antarctica. This study suggests that\, despite low endemism levels\
 , mosses may have had a much longer persistence in the Antarctic than prev
 iously thought.
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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