Chaos and repetition in algal evolution: A Chrysophyceae eco-genomic framework

Chrysophyceae evolution is linked to repeated trophic-strategy shifts, with photoautotrophy predominant in polar oceans and heterotrophy in oligotrophic tropical waters.

• Why it matters: Marine chrysophyte genetics has lagged behind freshwater work, limiting identification of genes that determine cellular and ecosystem function across environments.
• What they did: Using new transcriptomes, meta-genomes, and computational predictions, the study analyzes functional and eco-physiological diversity, maps marker-gene meta-gene distributions, and imputes a latitudinal trophic shift.
• The result: The common ancestor was likely a marine mixotroph, with multiple independent colonizations of freshwater and cryospheres, and convergent gene losses tied to cryotolerance, photosynthesis, and phagocytosis.