Beyond the Limits of Light: An Application of Super-Resolution Confocal Microscopy (sCLSM) to Investigate Eocene Amber Microfossils

Vorontsov, Dmitry D.; Kolesnikov, Vasiliy B.; Voronezhskaya, Elena E.; Perkovsky, Evgeny E.; Berto, Marielle M.; Mowery, Joseph; Ochoa, Ronald; Klimov, Pavel B.

doi:10.3390/life13040865

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 44 publications

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“…Elemental information can be collected synchronously, informing on texture (preferential orientation), crystallite size and local strain. The extremely high resolutions (<100 nm; Vorontsov et al, 2023 ) achievable with PP-SRμCT has possibly led to the greatest paleontological advances when applied to concretions ( Sanchez et al, 2012 ). This sophisticated technique has been applied to a variety of concretion fossils in recent years, including Devonian placoderm fishes from Australia ( Trinajstic et al, 2022b ), Triassic coprolites from Poland ( Qvarnström et al, 2019a , b ) and Jurassic cephalopods from France ( Rowe et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Analytical Methods For Concretion Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbially mediated fossil concretions and their characterization by the latest methodologies: a review

Dhami,

Greenwood,

Poropat

et al. 2023

Front. Microbiol.

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The study of well-preserved organic matter (OM) within mineral concretions has provided key insights into depositional and environmental conditions in deep time. Concretions of varied compositions, including carbonate, phosphate, and iron-based minerals, have been found to host exceptionally preserved fossils. Organic geochemical characterization of concretion-encapsulated OM promises valuable new information of fossil preservation, paleoenvironments, and even direct taxonomic information to further illuminate the evolutionary dynamics of our planet and its biota. Full exploitation of this largely untapped geochemical archive, however, requires a sophisticated understanding of the prevalence, formation controls and OM sequestration properties of mineral concretions. Past research has led to the proposal of different models of concretion formation and OM preservation. Nevertheless, the formation mechanisms and controls on OM preservation in concretions remain poorly understood. Here we provide a detailed review of the main types of concretions and formation pathways with a focus on the role of microbes and their metabolic activities. In addition, we provide a comprehensive account of organic geochemical, and complimentary inorganic geochemical, morphological, microbial and paleontological, analytical methods, including recent advancements, relevant to the characterization of concretions and sequestered OM. The application and outcome of several early organic geochemical studies of concretion-impregnated OM are included to demonstrate how this underexploited geo-biological record can provide new insights into the Earth’s evolutionary record. This paper also attempts to shed light on the current status of this research and major challenges that lie ahead in the further application of geo-paleo-microbial and organic geochemical research of concretions and their host fossils. Recent efforts to bridge the knowledge and communication gaps in this multidisciplinary research area are also discussed, with particular emphasis on research with significance for interpreting the molecular record in extraordinarily preserved fossils.

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Section: Analytical Methods For Concretion Characterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbially mediated fossil concretions and their characterization by the latest methodologies: a review

Dhami,

Greenwood,

Poropat

et al. 2023

Front. Microbiol.

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Seven new species from Eocene Baltic amber reveal surprising diversity and suggest possible speciation scenarios in the relictual family Collohmanniidae (Acari: Oribatida)

KOLESNIKOV,

VORONTSOV,

SIDORCHUK

2024

Zootaxa

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This study provides a comprehensive morphological analysis of ten fossil specimens from the genus Collohmannia, found in Eocene Baltic amber, with nine representing different species. Collohmanniidae, a unique monogeneric family of oribatid mites are among the largest oribatids. They feed on leaf litter and present significant sexual dimorphism and courtship behavior, which includes the transfer of nuptial food from male to female. Extant Collohmannia species inhabit isolated mountain forest areas. A fragmentation hypothesis has been proposed to account for their highly disjunctive distribution, suggesting that climate change divided a large forest area previously occupied by a parent species, leading to the allopatric evolution of several species of Collohmannia. However, with the discovery of a significant number of fossil species in Eocene Baltic amber we propose an alternate hypothesis with the Baltic amber forest serving as an arena for speciation of Collohmanniidae. According to it, the driving force of speciation was dietary and was based on gut microbiome specificity, reinforced by the female choice during the courtship ritual. In this paper we describe seven new fossil species of Collohmannia (C. sellnicki sp. nov., C. albertii sp. nov., C. nortoni sp. nov., C. groehni sp. nov., C. kerneggeri sp. nov., C. weiterschani sp. nov., C. clavata sp. nov.), re-describe C. schusteri based on study of the holotype, synonymize Embolacarus with Collohmannia, propose and describe the neotype of C. pergrata comb. nov., and provide a key to all described Collohmanniidae. Together with the hypotheses of speciation we propose verification experiments to be performed on extant Collohmannia mites.

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Beyond the Limits of Light: An Application of Super-Resolution Confocal Microscopy (sCLSM) to Investigate Eocene Amber Microfossils

Cited by 2 publications

References 44 publications

Microbially mediated fossil concretions and their characterization by the latest methodologies: a review

Microbially mediated fossil concretions and their characterization by the latest methodologies: a review

Seven new species from Eocene Baltic amber reveal surprising diversity and suggest possible speciation scenarios in the relictual family Collohmanniidae (Acari: Oribatida)

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