Publications by authors named "Steven T LoDuca"

Article Synopsis
  • Brown seaweeds are vital to coastal ecosystems, but they are threatened by climate change, prompting a detailed genetic study.
  • The research traced the evolutionary history of brown algae, highlighting significant gene families and metabolic pathways related to their adaptation and functional diversity.
  • Findings also indicated that the integration of large viral genomes has played a crucial role in shaping the genetics and traits of brown algal species over time.
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Previous molecular clock studies indicated a Mesozoic origin for the brown algae (Phaeophyceae). New research based on phylogenetic evidence challenges this notion and provides novel insights into the origin and diversification of brown algae, which includes multiple transitions within the group from isogamy to oogamy (and back again!).

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The siphonous green algae are an assemblage of seaweeds that consist of a single giant cell. They comprise two sister orders, the Bryopsidales and Dasycladales. We infer the phylogenetic relationships among the siphonous green algae based on a five-locus data matrix and analyze temporal aspects of their diversification using relaxed molecular clock methods calibrated with the fossil record.

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