Bibliographic Detail

Siver, P.A., 1991

Reference:
Siver, P.A. (1991). The biology of Mallomonas. Morphology, taxonomy and ecology Developments in hydrobiology Vol. 63. pp. [i]-x, 1-230. Dordrecht, Boston & London: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Location:
Dordrecht, Boston & London

Abstract:
Mallomonas is one of the most important genera in the plankton of freshwater lakes. Not only is the genus prominent in contemporary floras , but its silicious scales and bristles often form a significant component of the microfossil floras within lake sediments. As a result, Mallomonas has become a valuable paleoindicator for the documentation of historical lakewater conditions. The taxonomy, morphology and ecology of the genus form the heart of this text. Taxonomic identifications within the genus are based on the structure of the silicious armour. To date, most of the literature has focused on the use of transmission electron microscopy for identification purposes. This volume provides a compendium of descriptions and high quality scanning electron micrographs for over 60 taxa. The volume also provides the first comprehensive work detailing the comparative morphology of cells, scales and bristles and ecological requirements at the specific and subspecific levels.