New Insights into the Effects of Several Environmental Parameters on the Relative Fitness of a Numerically Dominant Class of Evolved Niche Specialist

Figure 5

Wrinkly Spreaders colonise concave- and convex-shaped A-L interfaces. Microcosm vials were filled to the brim with to produce (a) concave- and (b) convex-shaped A-L interfaces. A schematic of the upper regions of a microcosm (c) shows how the concave-shaped A-L interface interacts with the vial walls to produce the meniscus trap (which does not form with convex-shaped A-L interfaces). Only the top layer of liquid will have high-O₂ levels (grey), and bacteria near the A-L interface are likely to be displaced radially towards the meniscus trap (black arrows) driven in part by bioconvection cells produced by bacterial motility.

(a)

(b)

(c)