| Abstract Detail
Green Land: Multiple Perspectives on Green Algal Evolution and the Earliest Land Plants Lewis, Louise [1]. Overview of green plant diversity and evolution, with a focus on the Chlorophyta. Green plants, defined as green algae and embryophytes, are important members in diverse freshwater and marine habitats. Among photosynthetic eukaryotes green plants also are masters of terrestrial habitats. I will first provide an overview of extant groups of green plants, focusing on algae in Chlorophyta and Charophyta, and their relationships. Recent discoveries of early diverging taxa in both phyla may impact our understanding of trait evolution and indicate that there is more to uncover through new biodiversity sampling efforts. Several traits that often are considered important for the evolution of land plants also appear in Chlorophyta, including vegetative desiccation tolerance, multicellularity, alternation of generations, and avoidance of high light or UV stress, facilitating their success on land. Chlorophyta were on land likely before or at least contemporaneously with early embryophytes, forming rich land microbial communities. Unlike embryophytes, green algae transitioned to land numerous times from aquatic habitats. Comparisons of relative divergence times show a range of ages of these terrestrial chlorophyte lineages, indicating multiple drivers for land colonization.
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1 - University Of Connecticut, Department Of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 North Eagleville Rd, Unit 43, Storrs, CT, 06269, United States
Keywords:
terrestrial
algae
Chlorophyta.
Presentation Type: Symposium Presentation
Session: SYM3, Green land: Multiple perspectives on green algal evolution and the earliest land plants
Location: San Luis 1/Starr Pass
Date: Tuesday, July 30th, 2019
Time: 8:15 AM
Number: SYM3002
Abstract ID:1012
Candidate for Awards:None |
