Arcellaceans in Eastern Canada: Selected Biostratigraphic and Biological Studies

Abstract

Arcellaceans (testate rhizopods) are considered as part of the artificial group known as "thecamoebians". Arcellaceans exist in all modern freshwater environments, and they have been found to have value as indicators of paleoenvironment. This thesis contains a biostratigraphic report on a core from Joe's Pond in western Newfoundland. A quantitative analysis of arcellaceans has been incorporated with pollen and carbon-14 analyses performed elsewhere. Identification of species in a core illustrates the problem of arcellacean taxonomy. Literature on the group is confusing and classification at the species level is controversial. In the last part of this thesis, the problem of taxonomy is discussed briefly and an attempt has been made to illustrate diversity present in a clonal lineage from an individual of one species. Infraspecific variation is observed to be high in this lineage, thus variation must be taken into account when delimiting species.

Keywords: Pages: 60 Supervisors: Franco Medioli / David Scott