Thrombolites and Stromatolites: Two Distinct Types of Microbial Structures

Kennard, J. M.; James, Noël P.

doi:10.2307/3514631

Cited by 349 publications

(227 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Microbialites can be separated according their internal structure, into stromatolites (laminated structures), thrombolites (clotted structures), cryptic microbialites (patchy texture), oncolites (concentric laminations), and spherulitic microbialites (spherular aggregates) [30,45]. Microbialites are characterized by a close interaction between the building microorganisms, the colonized surface, and the surrounding environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Irradiance Regulation of Photosynthesis and Respiration in Modern Marine Microbialites Built by Benthic Cyanobacteria in a Tropical Lagoon (New Caledonia)

2005

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Microbialites are organosedimentary deposits that have built up as a result of the growth and binding of detrital sediment by a benthic microbial community. This study focuses on microbialites built by monospecific populations of cyanobacteria in the south-west lagoon of New Caledonia, where they have been observed down to 20-25 m depth. The aim was to study their photosynthetic and respiratory responses to various light intensities. The Phormidium sp. TK1 microbialite was collected at 19 m depth and the P. crosbyanum (Tilden) microbialite was collected at 0.5 and 13 m depth. Phormidium sp. TK1 showed all the characteristic features of a low-light adapted species. The initial slope of the Photosynthesis versus Irradiance curve for this microbialite was close to the maximum quantum yield indicating an efficient light absorption and utilization at low light. The photosynthesis maximum was located 0.2-0.4 mm below the surface and did not shift with changing light intensity. Respiration rates were low and not enhanced by light; photoinhibition was observed at higher light intensities. In Phormidium crosbyanum (Tilden) microbialites, the photosynthesis maximum shifted downward to lower depths with increasing light, probably as a result of phototactic migration of cyanobacterial filaments, and light-enhanced respiration was observed at light intensities above light saturation. The photosynthetic parameters measured in P. crosbyanum indicate that P. crosbyanum is capable of photo-acclimation at high light intensities. The gross productivity of the different microbialites was comparable to values measured in cyanobacterial stromatolites observed in other shallow environments. However, the microbialites studied here were characterized by a lower respiration / production ratio which indicates a higher growth efficiency.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Irradiance Regulation of Photosynthesis and Respiration in Modern Marine Microbialites Built by Benthic Cyanobacteria in a Tropical Lagoon (New Caledonia)

2005

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“…However, due to the lack of relevant modern analogues, the genesis of such deposits remains unclear. This concerns particularly the origins of diverse microstructurally laminated Precambrian biosedimentary structures called ''stromatolites'' and non-laminated finegrained (micritic) carbonates known as ''thrombolites' ' (e.g., Bertrand-Sarfati 1976;Semikhatov et al 1979;Buick et al 1981;Kennard and James 1986;Grotzinger and Rothman 1996;Riding 2000;Kazmierczak et al 2009). Papers presenting potential modern analogues of Precambrian microbialites (e.g., Fairchild 1991; Kazmierczak and Kempe 2006) are still rare, and, in spite of intensive efforts, far from solving the basic problems of stromatolite morphogenesis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrochemistry and microbialites of the alkaline crater lake Alchichica, Mexico

Kaźmierczak

Kempe

Kremer

et al. 2011

Facies

107

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The structure, mineralogy, and accretion processes of the modern and subfossil cyanobacterial microbialites from the alkaline crater lake Alchichica (Puebla, Mexico) were studied, along the lake's bathymetry and hydrochemistry. The recent lowering of the lake level had exposed microbialitic carbonate mounds and crusts, which emerged up to 2 m above the water surface, while accreting cyanobacterial microbialites were present down to a depth of *15 m. Morphological and molecular analysis found that the living cyanobacterial mats were composed of diverse filamentous and coccoid cyanobacteria

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“…2B) (Aitken, 1967;Shapiro, 2000). 쓰롬볼라이트를 구성하는 엉김 구조의 성인은 다양하여 생물학적인 것과 비생물학적인 것 모두 존 재할 수 있을 것으로 추정되나, 그중 상당수는 미생 물의 석회화 작용에 의한 것으로 생각된다 (Kennard and James, 1986;Riding, 2000). 덴드롤라이트는 특 징적으로 가지 모양을 띠는 엉김 구조로 구성되어 있 으며, 이는 미생물이 광합성을 위해 더 많은 빛을 받 아들이고자 할 때 만들어진 것으로 추정된다 (Fig.…”

Section: 라이트 쓰롬볼라이트(Thrombolite) 덴드롤라이트unclassified

A Review on Microbialites: a Korean Perspective

Lee¹

2015

The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea

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Microbialites are defined as rocks formed by microbial organisms. After their first appearance around 3.5 billion years ago, microbialites occur in various depositional environments throughout geological periods. Microbial organisms form microbialites by trapping and binding detrital sediments and/ or precipitating carbonate cements, resulting in formation of various microstructures and mesostructures. Four major types of microbialites are distinguished based on their mesostructures: stromatolite, thrombolite, dendrolite, and leiolite. In the geological records, occurrences of microbialites are influenced by calcium carbonate saturation of seawater and interaction of microbialites with metazoans. Stromatolites mainly flourished during the Precambrian, and diminished as level of atmospheric carbon dioxide declined. On the other hand, thrombolites, mainly formed by calcified microbes, began to flourish from the Neoproterozoic. As metazoans diversified in the Phanerozoic, proportion of the microbialites within sedimentary record declined. Since then, microbialites only occasionally flourished during the Phanerozoic, such as shortly after mass-extinction events. In the Korean Peninsula, microbialites occur in the Neoproterozoic Sangwon System, the Early Paleozoic Joseon Supergroup, and the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Supergroup, which form different shapes according to their age and depositional environments. By performing detailed studies on these Korean microbialites, it is possible to understand how microbes affected geological records and sedimentary environments, as well as their interaction with other organisms.

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Thrombolites and Stromatolites: Two Distinct Types of Microbial Structures

Cited by 349 publications

References 52 publications

Irradiance Regulation of Photosynthesis and Respiration in Modern Marine Microbialites Built by Benthic Cyanobacteria in a Tropical Lagoon (New Caledonia)

Irradiance Regulation of Photosynthesis and Respiration in Modern Marine Microbialites Built by Benthic Cyanobacteria in a Tropical Lagoon (New Caledonia)

Hydrochemistry and microbialites of the alkaline crater lake Alchichica, Mexico

A Review on Microbialites: a Korean Perspective

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