Abstract
Premise of research. The Lower Devonian Rhynie chert preserves abundant microbial fossils that are similar morphologically to cyanobacteria and microscopic algae but cannot be placed systematically with confidence. Although often morphologically distinct, only a few of these fossils have been described.Methodology. Thin sections prepared from three different blocks of the Rhynie chert were examined at high magnification in transmitted light. Images of fossils were captured digitally and processed in Adobe Photoshop.Pivotal results. More than 150 specimens of Glaphyrobalantium hueberi gen. et sp. nov., a minute vesicle bounded by a prominent envelope and usually containing eight or more spherical bodies, were found. The fossils are similar to certain present-day coccoid cyanobacteria (e.g., Gloeocapsa;Chroococcales) and algae (e.g., Gloeocystis;Sphaeropleales) that occur in microscopic groups of two to eight (or more) cells surrounded by a colonial sheath and unicellular algae that reproduce asexually by autospores (e.g., Chlorococcum;Chlamydomonadales), but affinities to protists, fungi, and fungus-like organisms can also not be ruled out.Conclusions. This discovery expands our knowledge of microbial life in the Rhynie paleoecosystem. Although the affinities remain elusive, it is important to describe fossils like G. hueberi as a first step toward understanding past microbial biodiversity and the roles microorganisms have had as constituents of ancient ecosystems.
| Dokumententyp: | Zeitschriftenartikel |
|---|---|
| Fakultät: | Geowissenschaften > Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften |
| Themengebiete: | 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 550 Geowissenschaften, Geologie |
| ISSN: | 1058-5893 |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Dokumenten ID: | 110713 |
| Datum der Veröffentlichung auf Open Access LMU: | 02. Apr. 2024, 07:20 |
| Letzte Änderungen: | 02. Apr. 2024, 07:20 |
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