title: Evolution in the Bacillaceae.
abstract: The family Bacillaceae constitutes a phenotypically diverse and globally ubiquitous assemblage of bacteria. Investigation into how evolution has shaped, and continues to shape, this family has relied on several widely ranging approaches from classical taxonomy, ecological field studies, and evolution in soil microcosms to genomic-scale phylogenetics, laboratory, and directed evolution experiments. One unifying characteristic of the Bacillaceae, the endospore, poses unique challenges to answering questions regarding both the calculation of evolutionary rates and claims of extreme longevity in ancient environmental samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Cell Science, University of Florida, Space Life Sciences Laboratory, Exploration Park at Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, FL 32953.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fajardo-Cavazos
authors.affiliation: Ronin Institute (Headquartered in Montclair, NJ), Mildmay, ON Canada N0G 2J0.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maughan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Cell Science, University of Florida, Space Life Sciences Laboratory, Exploration Park at Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, FL 32953.
authors.forename: Wayne L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Nicholson
mesh_terms: D001406:Bacillaceae / Q000235:genetics*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D010802:Phylogeny