J.S. Clegg, S.A. Jackson-1997
International Journal of Salt Lake Research, 6 : 207-216
Abstract:
We present electron microscopic observations on fragments of encysted embryos of the crustacean, Artemia sp., recovered from a 27,000 year-old core section taken under the Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah. The significance of these results comes from a consideration of the geological history of the GSL and the extraordinary properties and abundance of Artemia cysts at this site. We make the case that this unique system, and probably other salt lakes as well, provides novel opportunities for the study of "ancient DNA" and related matters. The analysis provides the major focus of this paper, which we hope will stimulate interest in this aspect of salt lake research.
(University of California, Davis, Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Bodega Marine Laboratory, Bodega Bay, CA 94923 USA)