The iconic Joshua Tree is much loved, although not fully understood. Biologist Jeremy Yoder has launched a genome project focusing on the unique plant and will be giving a lecture today about the project. Reporter Heather Clisby has details…
Long before mankind ever set foot in North America, there were Joshua Trees, those unmistakable mascot plants of the Mojave desert. To help ensure that the plant – which is a member of the Yucca family – survives for centuries, Jeremy Yoder, an evolutionary biologist at CSU Northridge, has launched the Joshua Tree Genome Project.
The project will gather and develop genomic data to learn how Joshua Trees adapt to rapidly changing climate conditions. The data will also help biologists and conservationists learn how they might help the species survive increasingly higher temperatures.
The Hi-Desert Nature Museum will host a virtual lecture today, January 14, at 1 p.m., for those who would like to learn more about this project. The lecture can be accessed by visiting the Hi-Desert Nature Museum’s website.
For more info, contact the museum at 760-369-7212.
