Geographic Barriers Isolate Endemic Populations of Hyperthermophilic Archaea
Whitaker RJ, Grogan DW, Taylor JW. 2003. Geographic Barriers Isolate Endemic Populations of Hyperthermophilic Archaea. Science. 301(5635):976-978
Although "it has been argued that limits to dispersal do not affect unicellular organisms because of their small size, enormous abundance and metabolic plasticity," the study revealed a biogeographical pattern of divergence in the archaeon Sulfolobus, whose growth requires intemperate habitats that are often discontinuous and distant. Five sites were sampled separated by distances of more than 250 km., including two sites in Eastern Russia, and sites in western Iceland, Lassen Volcanic National Park and Yellowstone National Park.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Whitaker, Rachel; Grogan, Dennis; Taylor, John
- Units
- LAVO
- Keywords
- Archaea, DNA, Evolution, genetic drift, Geothermal, Hyperthermophilic, Microbiology, microorganism, RNA, Sulfolobus