my favorite thing about lichens is that they’re always out there so anytime you
they’re always out there so anytime you
they’re always out there so anytime you go on a walk and go on a bike go float
go on a walk and go on a bike go float
go on a walk and go on a bike go float the river you can go out collect like
the river you can go out collect like
the river you can go out collect like it’s into a winter when you’re skiing
it’s into a winter when you’re skiing
it’s into a winter when you’re skiing you only see lichens so like until they
you only see lichens so like until they
you only see lichens so like until they cover about seven percent of the Earth’s
cover about seven percent of the Earth’s
cover about seven percent of the Earth’s surface Trustee like in this big leafy
surface Trustee like in this big leafy
surface Trustee like in this big leafy macro lichens hair lichens big huge
macro lichens hair lichens big huge
macro lichens hair lichens big huge lichens and some lichens that grow
lichens and some lichens that grow
lichens and some lichens that grow really fast can grow up to three feet a
really fast can grow up to three feet a
really fast can grow up to three feet a year and you got ones that grow really
year and you got ones that grow really
year and you got ones that grow really slowly and live for ten thousand years
slowly and live for ten thousand years
slowly and live for ten thousand years as a photographer when I’m out there
as a photographer when I’m out there
as a photographer when I’m out there poking around I just see colors I see
poking around I just see colors I see
poking around I just see colors I see shapes I’ve got over 16,000 collections
shapes I’ve got over 16,000 collections
shapes I’ve got over 16,000 collections of lichens here
of lichens here
of lichens here currently studio photography set up
currently studio photography set up
currently studio photography set up where I can go out and collect lichen
where I can go out and collect lichen
where I can go out and collect lichen samples and bring him back to the lab
samples and bring him back to the lab
samples and bring him back to the lab here and set him up and control the
here and set him up and control the
here and set him up and control the lighting so historically a lichen was
lighting so historically a lichen was
lighting so historically a lichen was assumed to be a union between a single
assumed to be a union between a single
assumed to be a union between a single species of fungus and the species of
species of fungus and the species of
species of fungus and the species of green algae but when they come together
green algae but when they come together
green algae but when they come together they form this unique structure unlike
they form this unique structure unlike
they form this unique structure unlike the two individuals the algae
the two individuals the algae
the two individuals the algae photosynthesizes and the fungus
photosynthesizes and the fungus
photosynthesizes and the fungus producers of the structure and those two
producers of the structure and those two
producers of the structure and those two come together and they live in places
come together and they live in places
come together and they live in places where the individual parts alone
where the individual parts alone
where the individual parts alone couldn’t and that’s what we thought of
couldn’t and that’s what we thought of
couldn’t and that’s what we thought of lichens for the last hundred fifty years
lichens for the last hundred fifty years
lichens for the last hundred fifty years the study was accepted in science
the study was accepted in science
the study was accepted in science magazine and Toby the main often the
magazine and Toby the main often the
magazine and Toby the main often the favor approached me and asked if I would
favor approached me and asked if I would
favor approached me and asked if I would do a photo for the cover
this person toby spray Bella walks in I
this person toby spray Bella walks in I don’t know what he said hi I’m Toby I
don’t know what he said hi I’m Toby I
don’t know what he said hi I’m Toby I work on likens please sit down
work on likens please sit down
work on likens please sit down and so Toby brought me this problem he
and so Toby brought me this problem he
and so Toby brought me this problem he said look his two lichens that were
said look his two lichens that were
said look his two lichens that were clearly different but when we look at
clearly different but when we look at
clearly different but when we look at their genes they were exactly the same
their genes they were exactly the same
their genes they were exactly the same Native Americans used the edible horse
Native Americans used the edible horse
Native Americans used the edible horse their lichen that brown stuff hanging
their lichen that brown stuff hanging
their lichen that brown stuff hanging from trees and essentially make little
from trees and essentially make little
from trees and essentially make little cliff flowers they knew that one was
cliff flowers they knew that one was
cliff flowers they knew that one was yellow because it contained an acid
yellow because it contained an acid
yellow because it contained an acid called volcanic acid and they knew that
called volcanic acid and they knew that
called volcanic acid and they knew that that was toxic we sort of left with this
that was toxic we sort of left with this
that was toxic we sort of left with this problem of they are different but we
problem of they are different but we
problem of they are different but we don’t see it so so what is it that’s the
don’t see it so so what is it that’s the
don’t see it so so what is it that’s the problem
problem
problem we were stuck thinking about this idea
we were stuck thinking about this idea
we were stuck thinking about this idea of one fungus one algae which is how its
of one fungus one algae which is how its
of one fungus one algae which is how its taught in textbook it was totally wrong
taught in textbook it was totally wrong
taught in textbook it was totally wrong it was absolutely wrong but what we
it was absolutely wrong but what we
it was absolutely wrong but what we found was that there was a third layer a
found was that there was a third layer a
found was that there was a third layer a separate distantly related fungi that
separate distantly related fungi that
separate distantly related fungi that was an integral part of the symbiosis
was an integral part of the symbiosis
was an integral part of the symbiosis [Music]
[Music]
[Music] took us realizing that to change how we
took us realizing that to change how we
took us realizing that to change how we thought about the symbiosis in general
we looked for this additional partner on
we looked for this additional partner on six different continents and in every
six different continents and in every
six different continents and in every case we were finding it it started as a
case we were finding it it started as a
case we were finding it it started as a small project in Montana between a
small project in Montana between a
small project in Montana between a couple of people with different
couple of people with different
couple of people with different backgrounds and ended up as this global
backgrounds and ended up as this global
backgrounds and ended up as this global endeavor so without the whole group
endeavor so without the whole group
endeavor so without the whole group working together we never would have
working together we never would have
working together we never would have been able to study the organisms that
been able to study the organisms that
been able to study the organisms that have to work together sometimes big
have to work together sometimes big
have to work together sometimes big discoveries can come from really simple
discoveries can come from really simple
discoveries can come from really simple questions it’s good reminder to keep an
questions it’s good reminder to keep an
questions it’s good reminder to keep an open mind
[Music]
[Music] you
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