Wow, what interesting research. Have you or other cave researchers discovered how long it takes animals to evolve to cave environments? Also, do the caves you work in have extreme hot temperatures? I always imagined caves as cool. Is there special geology that leads to extreme heat environments in caves?
In the TED talk you mentioned encountering animals and crickets, at what depths does the atmosphere of the cave become too inhospitable for animals to survive for long periods of time? How long in general can you and your fellow cavers remain within the cave at depth?
Are the climates in caves relatively constant? For example, do they have a cyclic climate like the most of the surface, or do they stay the same year round? What about a change over long periods of time?
In regards of the difficulties in growing low temperature Archaea in pure culture, how susceptible are they (or other extremophlies) to temperature variation?
So hypothetically, let’s imagine the thermostat in the cave was increased so that the environment was inhabitable for low-temperature Archaea, if the temperature then decreased, would the Archaea return?
Diana's Interview with Nova
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/lives-of-extremophiles.html
Diana Northup's TEDx ABQ talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuIYzZcvW7w
Wow, what interesting research. Have you or other cave researchers discovered how long it takes animals to evolve to cave environments? Also, do the caves you work in have extreme hot temperatures? I always imagined caves as cool. Is there special geology that leads to extreme heat environments in caves?
ReplyDeleteIn the TED talk you mentioned encountering animals and crickets, at what depths does the atmosphere of the cave become too inhospitable for animals to survive for long periods of time? How long in general can you and your fellow cavers remain within the cave at depth?
ReplyDeleteAre the climates in caves relatively constant? For example, do they have a cyclic climate like the most of the surface, or do they stay the same year round? What about a change over long periods of time?
ReplyDeleteIn regards of the difficulties in growing low temperature Archaea in pure culture, how susceptible are they (or other extremophlies) to temperature variation?
ReplyDeleteSo hypothetically, let’s imagine the thermostat in the cave was increased so that the environment was inhabitable for low-temperature Archaea, if the temperature then decreased, would the Archaea return?