Extinction of austral diatoms in response to large-scale climate dynamics in Antarctica.

ABSTRACT: Despite evidence for microbial endemism, an understanding of the impact of geological and paleoclimate events on the evolution of regional protist communities remains elusive. Here, we provide insights into the biogeographical history of Antarctic freshwater diatoms, using lacustrine fossils from mid-Miocene and Quaternary Antarctica, and dovetail this dataset with a global inventory of modern freshwater diatom communities. We reveal the existence of a diverse mid-Miocene diatom flora bearing similarities with several former Gondwanan landmasses. Miocene cooling and Plio-Pleistocene glaciations triggered multiple extinction waves, resulting in the selective depauperation of this flora. Although extinction dominated, in situ speciation and new colonizations ultimately shaped the species-poo

SUBMITTER: Pinseel E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8443178 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature