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Endolíticos microbianos orgánicamente conservados del Proterozoico tardío del este de Groenlandia
A H Knoll1, S Golubic, J Green
1Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Nature
|June 26, 1986
Resumen
Se descubrieron endolitos microbianos, incluidas las cianobacterias, en pisolitos de Groenlandia Oriental de 700 a 800 millones de años de antigüedad. Este hallazgo revela la antigua vida microbiana y sus paralelos ecológicos con los organismos modernos.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Paleontología Paleontología.
- Microbiología Microbiología.
- Geología Geología Geología.
Sus antecedentes:
- Los organismos microscópicos habitan en las estructuras marinas de carbonato como los ooides y las conchas.
- Estos endolitos contribuyen a la erosión de los carbonatos y sirven como indicadores ecológicos.
- Las investigaciones anteriores sobre los endolitos microbianos se centraron en la era Fanerozoica, con un conocimiento limitado de la evolución del Precámbrico.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para investigar la historia del Precámbrico y la evolución de los endolitos microbianos.
- Explorar pisolitas silicificadas como una fuente potencial para los primeros descubrimientos de microfósiles.
- Identificar y caracterizar los microorganismos endolíticos de la última época del Proterozoico.
Principales métodos:
- Análisis de pisolitas silicificadas de la serie piedra caliza-dolomita en el este de Groenlandia (700-800 millones de años).
- Examen microscópico para identificar y documentar microorganismos endolíticos orgánicamente conservados.
- Comparación morfológica y de desarrollo de microorganismos fosilizados con cianobacterias endolíticas modernas.
Principales resultados:
- Descubrimiento de grandes poblaciones de microorganismos endolíticos orgánicamente conservados en pisolitas del Proterozoico.
- Identificación de aproximadamente 12 taxones diversos de cianobacterias endolíticas previamente desconocidas.
- Seis poblaciones fósiles de cianobacterias exhiben sorprendentes similitudes con las cianobacterias modernas en su morfología y ecología.
Conclusiones:
- Las pisolitas y estructuras similares son ambientes valiosos y poco explorados para descubrir microfósiles tempranos.
- El conjunto diverso confirma la antigua presencia de complejas comunidades microbianas endolíticas complejas.
- Los hallazgos sugieren una continuidad ecológica y morfológica a largo plazo de ciertos linajes de cianobacterias desde el Precámbrico.
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