Modeling the Habitat Range of Phototrophs in Yellowstone National Park: Toward the Development of a Comprehensive Fitness Landscape

Temperature is the primary constraint shaping the distribution of phototrophic microorganisms in Yellowstone National Park's geothermal springs, accounting for nearly 40% of the variation in their habitat range. This finding emerges from a study analyzing 439 spring observations, where generalized additive models (GAMs) revealed that temperature alone explained more variance than pH or sulfide concentrations—though combined variables improved predictive accuracy further. Laboratory experiments confirmed that phototroph activity declines with higher sulfide levels and temperatures exceeding in situ conditions, particularly in acidic algal systems. These insights provide a quantitative framework to understand how environmental constraints have influenced the evolution of phototrophic metabolisms over geological time.

Boyd, E. S., Fecteau, K. M., Havig, J. R., Shock, E. L., & Peters, J. W. (2012). Modeling the Habitat Range of Phototrophs in Yellowstone National Park: Toward the Development of a Comprehensive Fitness Landscape. Frontiers in Microbiology, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2012.00221