Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christine Strullu-Derrien, Frederic Fercoq, Marc Geze, Paul Kenrick, Florent Martos, Marc-Andre Selosse, Karim Benzerara, Andrew H. Knoll
Summary: Cyanobacteria have a long evolutionary history and are abundant in marine rocks and terrestrial environments. The Rhynie chert provides a well-preserved record of early terrestrial ecosystems, allowing us to study the diversity and ecology of cyanobacteria as plants began to colonize the land. Through microscopy techniques, we discovered a new population of Rhynie cyanobacteria and confirmed that they belong to the Hapalosiphonaceae family. This study demonstrates that complex cyanobacteria had already adapted to terrestrial ecosystems transformed by plants over 400 million years ago.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
John Parnell, Temitope O. Akinsanpe, Joseph G. T. Armstrong, Adrian J. Boyce, John W. Still, Stephen A. Bowden, David Clases, Raquel Gonzalez de Vega, Joerg Feldmann
Summary: The symbiotic partnership between plants and fungi played a crucial role in nutrient uptake during the colonization of terrestrial surfaces. The Lower Devonian Rhynie Chert provides evidence for extensive phosphorus mobilization in plant debris that was extensively colonized by fungi. However, the ecosystem was also exposed to toxic elements from hot springs. The mineral component of the ecosystem modified the geochemistry of surrounding waters.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2022)
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ewen Callaway
Summary: Genetic material collected from permafrost reveals that northern Greenland was once a thriving forest.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
John Parnell, Temitope O. Akinsanpe, John W. Still, Andrea Schito, Stephen A. Bowden, David K. Muirhead, Joseph G. T. Armstrong
Summary: Lacustrine shales in the Rhynie chert of Aberdeenshire, UK, contain rare earth element (REE) fluorocarbonate mineralization preserved by hot spring silicification. The mineralization results from erosion of granite, bioweathering of monazite, and interaction with fluorine-rich hot spring fluids. The low-temperature occurrence emphasizes the availability of fluorine and REEs from granite in the sedimentary environment.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tom van der Valk, Patricia Pecnerova, David Diez-del-Molino, Anders Bergstrom, Jonas Oppenheimer, Stefanie Hartmann, Georgios Xenikoudakis, Jessica A. Thomas, Marianne Dehasque, Ekin Saglican, Fatma Rabia Fidan, Ian Barnes, Shanlin Liu, Mehmet Somel, Peter D. Heintzman, Pavel Nikolskiy, Beth Shapiro, Pontus Skoglund, Michael Hofreiter, Adrian M. Lister, Anders Gotherstrom, Love Dalen
Summary: This study reveals the presence of two distinct mammoth lineages in eastern Siberia during the Early Pleistocene, with one lineage giving rise to the woolly mammoth and another representing an unrecognized lineage ancestral to the first mammoths to colonize North America. Additionally, the study shows that the Columbian mammoth of North America can trace its ancestry back to a hybridization event between these two lineages during the Middle Pleistocene, with roughly equal admixture proportions. Moreover, the majority of protein-coding changes associated with cold adaptation in woolly mammoths were found to be present as early as one million years ago.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kurt H. Kjaer, Mikkel Winther Pedersen, Bianca S. De Sanctis, Binia S. De Cahsan, Thorfinn S. K. Korneliussen, Christian S. Michelsen, Karina K. H. Sand, Stanislav Jelavic, Anthony H. K. Ruter, Astrid M. A. S. Schmidt, Kristian K. Kjeldsen, Alexey S. C. Tesakov, Ian G. Snowball, John C. Gosse, Inger G. Alsos, Yucheng Wang, Christoph E. Dockter, Magnus Rasmussen, Morten E. Jorgensen, Birgitte Skadhauge, Ana Prohaska, Jeppe A. Kristensen, Morten Bjerager, Morten E. Allentoft, Eric Coissac, Alexandra Rouillard, Alexandra Simakova, Antonio Fernandez-Guerra, Chris Bowler, Marc Macias-Fauria, Lasse Vinner, John J. Welch, Alan J. Hidy, Martin Sikora, Matthew J. Collins, Richard Durbin, Nicolaj K. Larsen, Eske Willerslev
Summary: Research reveals the existence of rich plant and animal communities in North Greenland two million years ago. The ancient community consisted of an open boreal forest with a variety of Arctic and boreal shrubs and herbs. Genetic analysis confirms the presence of ancestral species such as hares, mastodons, reindeer, rodents, and geese. The presence of marine organisms suggests a warmer climate than today. The findings open new possibilities for genetic research, demonstrating the use of ancient environmental DNA to track the ecology and evolution of biological communities from two million years ago.
Article
Geology
Michael M. Joachimski, Johann Mueller, Timothy M. Gallagher, Gregor Mathes, Daoliang L. Chu, Fedor Mouraviev, Vladimir Silantiev, Yadong D. Sun, Jinnan N. Tong
Summary: The study reconstructed the atmospheric CO2 history from the late Permian to the Early Triassic, showing a significant increase in CO2 concentrations during the warm periods, potentially contributing to the end-Permian mass extinction event.
Article
Microbiology
William D. Orsi, Tobias Magritsch, Sergio Vargas, Oemer K. Coskun, Aurele Vuillemin, Sebastian Hoehna, Gert Woerheide, Steven D'Hondt, Jesse Shapiro, Paul Carini
Summary: This study reveals the genomic evolution of Thalassospira bacterial populations cultured from million-year-old subseafloor sediments, showing evolution in clonal populations by point mutation with elevated numbers of pseudogenes and numerous insertion-deletion events in a flagellar operon. Compared to type strains, subseafloor bacterial genomes have a significantly lower number of singleton genes.
Article
Geology
Sara Schreder-Gomes, Kathleen C. Benison, Jeremiah A. Bernau
Summary: Well-preserved primary fluid inclusions containing organic solids and liquids were found in the 830-million-year-old halite from central Australia. This discovery has important implications for the search for life in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial chemical sedimentary rocks.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
L. G. Bouma, J. L. Curtis, K. Masuda, L. A. Hillenbrand, G. Stefansson, H. Isaacson, N. Narita, A. Fukui, M. Ikoma, M. Tamura, A. L. Kraus, E. Furlan, C. L. Gnilka, K. Lester, S. B. Howell
Summary: Kepler 1627A is a member of the delta Lyr cluster and hosts the youngest planet, Kepler 1627Ab. The Kepler photometry shows peculiarities, possibly correlated with the planet's characteristics.
ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
B. Schoenemann, E. N. K. Clarkson, C. Bartels, W. Suedkamp, G. E. Roessner, U. Ryck
Summary: Trilobites, extinct arthropods with elaborate compound eyes, had a suborder called Phacopina that developed large eyes containing multiple small compound eye systems, forming hyper-compound eyes, which are unique in the animal kingdom.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ruben Gonzalez-Miguens, Milcho Todorov, Quentin Blandenier, Clement Duckert, Alfredo L. Porfirio-Sousa, Giulia M. Ribeiro, Diana Ramos, Daniel J. G. Lahr, David Buckley, Enrique Lara
Summary: In this study, the authors used Arcellinida testate amoebae as a model to test the paradigm of morphological stasis in protists. The results showed a lack of conservatism in shell outlines and widespread morphological convergences between far-related taxa. In addition, the authors revised the systematics and established a new infraorder and two new genera.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xiaomei Wang, Shuichang Zhang, Yuntao Ye, Sihong Ma, Jin Su, Huajian Wang, Donald E. Canfield
Summary: Nitrogen is crucial for life on Earth and regulates primary production rates in the oceans. The balance between nitrogen loss and nitrogen inputs in the oceans affects the marine nitrogen budget. By studying ancient ocean nitrogen dynamics in the Xiamaling Formation of North China, we find that the Mesoproterozoic oceans experienced both nitrogen replete and nitrogen-deplete conditions, similar to modern environments. We provide models explaining these ancient ocean nitrogen dynamics and evaluate the limitations of nitrogen isotope systematics in understanding nitrogen limitation in ancient oceans.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Majed N. Turkistani, Eduard G. Reinhardt, David A. Kynaston, Janok P. Bhattacharya
Summary: This study investigates the associations between ancient deltaic environments and foram-iniferal and testate amoebae assemblages and finds clear relationships between test morphology and depositional environment.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Fabiana Neves, Antonio Munoz-Merida, Andre M. Machado, Tereza Almeida, Arnaud Gaigher, Pedro J. Esteves, L. Filipe C. Castro, Ana Verissimo
Summary: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role in pathogen recognition and host immune response. This study investigates the evolutionary history of the TLR15 gene, revealing its presence in early branching jawed vertebrates and ongoing pseudogenization in these ancient vertebrates. The unique phylogenetic distribution of TLR15 suggests its ancient origin and potential implications for the immune response in different lineages of vertebrates.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Katarzyna Justyna Chojnacka, Praveenraj Elancheliyan, Ben Hur Marins Mussulini, Karthik Mohanraj, Sylvie Callegari, Aleksandra Gosk, Tomasz Banach, Tomasz Goral, Karolina Szczepanowska, Peter Rehling, Remigiusz Adam Serwa, Agnieszka Chacinska
Summary: OCIAD2 is identified as an assembly factor for CIII2, playing an important role in the mitochondrial inner membrane. It interacts with ETC proteins and its loss leads to abnormal mitochondrial morphology, decreased CIII2 and supercomplex III2+IV, and reduced CIII enzymatic activity. This finding provides new insights into the biogenesis and architecture of the ETC.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Dianne Edwards, Jennifer L. Morris, Lindsey Axe, Jeffrey G. Duckett, Silvia Pressel, Paul Kenrick
Summary: The study proposes a new group of plants, the Eophytidae, based on the analysis of ancient fossil anatomy, suggesting that these plants may have been poikilohydric in nature.
Article
Plant Sciences
Dianne Edwards, Jennifer L. Morris, Lindsey Axe, Wilson A. Taylor, Jeffrey G. Duckett, Paul Kenrick, Silvia Pressel
Summary: This study provides geological evidence of the earliest occurrence of transfer cells and indicates that some organic encrustations may be the remains of thalloid land plants. It highlights the possibility that these are part of the life cycle of a newly recognized group of plants called the eophytes.
Letter
Plant Sciences
Christine Strullu-Derrien, Marc Philippe, Paul Kenrick, Robert A. Blanchette
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Christine Strullu-Derrien, Alan R. T. Spencer, Christopher J. Cleal, Victor O. Leshyk
Summary: A disused quarry in the Amorican Massif in France has exposed early coal swamp plants and has significant cultural and geological value. However, due to erosion and human damage, fewer of the trees are now visible. The use of photogrammetry has allowed for the digital preservation of this important geoheritage site.
Article
Plant Sciences
Pawel Filipiak, Paul Kenrick, Zuzanna Wawrzyniak, Marcelina Kondas, Christine Strullu-Derrien
Summary: This article presents a preliminary assessment of a new Lower Devonian biota found in Poland. The biota contains a diverse assemblage of plant and microfossils, providing insights into the early terrestrial community and raising questions about the roles of arthropods and nematophytales in these ecosystems. The discoveries contribute to our understanding of early Earth diversity and have implications for evolutionary ecology.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Christine Strullu-Derrien, Alan R. T. Spencer, Paul Kenrick, Walter S. Judd, Dario De Franceschi, Steven R. Manchester
Summary: Reexamination of selected fruits and seeds from the Anjou flora of Maine-et-Loire using X-ray tomography revealed previously unseen morphological characters, leading to the revision of the classification of certain plant species. This methodology offers important insights into the hidden disseminules within hand samples. Additional micro-CT scan investigations are expected to yield new information on this classic flora, especially for samples showing only fossil leaf impressions at the surface.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Benoit Perez-Lamarque, Remi Petrolli, Christine Strullu-Derrien, Dominique Strasberg, Helene Morlon, Marc-Andre Selosse, Florent Martos
Summary: This study investigates the root mycobiome in tropical environments and finds that fungi have weakly specialized symbiotic relationships with different plants and environments. The different fungal lineages exhibit varying levels of specialization and modularity in their interactions with plants.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Marc Philippe, Stephen McLoughlin, Christine Strullu-Derrien, Marion Bamford, Steffen Kiel, Andre Nel, Frederic Thevenard
Summary: This article discusses the fossil evidence of biotic communities parasitic on wood and emphasizes the impact of the diversity of parasites on the deterioration of host wood and the likelihood of fossilization. The study discovered a fossil wood assemblage from the Santonian period in southeast Africa, which contains a diverse biotic community. The research interprets the evolution of the wood-hosted biocoenosis based on the fossils, traces, and other features.
Article
Biology
Ria L. Mitchell, Paul Kenrick, Silvia Pressel, Jeff Duckett, Christine Strullu-Derrien, Neil Davies, William J. McMahon, Rebecca Summerfield
Summary: The evolution of plant-based terrestrial ecosystems in the early Palaeozoic has had significant impacts on soils, sedimentary systems, and biogeochemical cycles. However, there is limited understanding of the micro-scale processes involved due to a lack of in situ plant fossils. This study investigates modern plants that share similarities with early land plants to better understand these interactions and their effects on sediment stabilisation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Christine Strullu-Derrien, Thomas Servais, Paul Kenrick
Article
Plant Sciences
David C. Steart, John Needham, Christine Strullu-Derrien, Marc Philippe, Jonathan Krieger, Lil Stevens, Alan R. T. Spencer, Peta A. Hayes, Paul Kenrick
Summary: This research paper documents the characteristics and habits of the most complete Mesozoic Era tree excavated in the UK. The fossil was found in southern England and consists of over 100 permineralized pieces, weighing over two tonnes. The excavation preserved the original associations of the parts, providing unique insights into the overall habit and growth of the tree. The findings reveal important differences in growth architecture compared to modern conifers and extinct Mesozoic conifers.
Article
Plant Sciences
Christine Strullu-Derrien, Michel Ballevre, Alan R. T. Spencer, Erwan Guillou, Jean-Paul Gislard, Hubert Lardeux, Christopher J. Cleal
Summary: The Coteaux du Pont Barre in Beaulieu-sur-Layon is a Regional Natural Reserve with exceptional flora and fauna. Recently, fossil plants have been discovered at the site, adding to its natural heritage significance.