Metagenomic Analysis of Evening Primrose Hot Spring. hot springs metagenome

Little is known about how the geological history of an environment shapes its physical and chemical properties and how these, in turn, influence the assembly of communities. Evening Primrose (EP), a moderately acidic hot spring (pH 5.6, 77.4C) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has undergone dramatic physicochemical change linked to seismic activity. Historical observations of EP extending back to the early 20th century show that its hydrology (e.g., water level, temperature) and chemistry (e.g., pH and SO4(2-)/Cl- content) are closely tied to seismic activity. EP therefore provides a unique opportunity to examine how the historical legacy of geological change shapes the chemical composition of a spring and to determine how this, in turn, influences the taxonomic and functional diversity of microbial inhabitants of a spring. We examined historical accounts of the physical and chemical characteristics of EP and integrate these with contemporary geochemical and metagenomic data to provide new insight into the links between the legacy of geological events that control hot spring geochemistry and the taxonomic and functional diversity of microbial communities that inhabit those hot springs.