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Runge EA, Mansor M, Kappler A, Duda JP. Microbial biosignatures in ancient deep-sea hydrothermal sulfides. GEOBIOLOGY 2023; 21:355-377. [PMID: 36524457 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Deep-sea hydrothermal systems provide ideal conditions for prebiotic reactions and ancient metabolic pathways and, therefore, might have played a pivotal role in the emergence of life. To understand this role better, it is paramount to examine fundamental interactions between hydrothermal processes, non-living matter, and microbial life in deep time. However, the distribution and diversity of microbial communities in ancient deep-sea hydrothermal systems are still poorly constrained, so evolutionary, and ecological relationships remain unclear. One important reason is an insufficient understanding of the formation of diagnostic microbial biosignatures in such settings and their preservation through geological time. This contribution centers around microbial biosignatures in Precambrian deep-sea hydrothermal sulfide deposits. Intending to provide a valuable resource for scientists from across the natural sciences whose research is concerned with the origins of life, we first introduce different types of biosignatures that can be preserved over geological timescales (rock fabrics and textures, microfossils, mineral precipitates, carbonaceous matter, trace metal, and isotope geochemical signatures). We then review selected reports of biosignatures from Precambrian deep-sea hydrothermal sulfide deposits and discuss their geobiological significance. Our survey highlights that Precambrian hydrothermal sulfide deposits potentially encode valuable information on environmental conditions, the presence and nature of microbial life, and the complex interactions between fluids, micro-organisms, and minerals. It further emphasizes that the geobiological interpretation of these records is challenging and requires the concerted application of analytical and experimental methods from various fields, including geology, mineralogy, geochemistry, and microbiology. Well-orchestrated multidisciplinary studies allow us to understand the formation and preservation of microbial biosignatures in deep-sea hydrothermal sulfide systems and thus help unravel the fundamental geobiology of ancient settings. This, in turn, is critical for reconstructing life's emergence and early evolution on Earth and the search for life elsewhere in the universe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Alexander Runge
- Sedimentology and Organic Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Muammar Mansor
- Geomicrobiology, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Kappler
- Geomicrobiology, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124, Controlling Microbes to Fight Infection, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jan-Peter Duda
- Sedimentology and Organic Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
- Geobiology, Geoscience Center, Göttingen University, Göttingen, Germany
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2
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Moore KR, Daye M, Gong J, Williford K, Konhauser K, Bosak T. A review of microbial-environmental interactions recorded in Proterozoic carbonate-hosted chert. GEOBIOLOGY 2023; 21:3-27. [PMID: 36268586 PMCID: PMC10092529 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The record of life during the Proterozoic is preserved by several different lithologies, but two in particular are linked both spatially and temporally: chert and carbonate. These lithologies capture a snapshot of dominantly peritidal environments during the Proterozoic. Early diagenetic chert preserves some of the most exceptional Proterozoic biosignatures in the form of microbial body fossils and mat textures. This fossiliferous and kerogenous chert formed in shallow marine environments, where chert nodules, layers, and lenses are often surrounded by and encased within carbonate deposits that themselves often contain kerogen and evidence of former microbial mats. Here, we review the record of biosignatures preserved in peritidal Proterozoic chert and chert-hosting carbonate and discuss this record in the context of experimental and environmental studies that have begun to shed light on the roles that microbes and organic compounds may have played in the formation of these deposits. Insights gained from these studies suggest temporal trends in microbial-environmental interactions and place new constraints on past environmental conditions, such as the concentration of silica in Proterozoic seawater, interactions among organic compounds and cations in seawater, and the influence of microbial physiology and biochemistry on selective preservation by silicification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey R. Moore
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Mirna Daye
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jian Gong
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Kurt Konhauser
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Tanja Bosak
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
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3
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Coutant M, Lepot K, Fadel A, Addad A, Richard E, Troadec D, Ventalon S, Sugitani K, Javaux EJ. Distinguishing cellular from abiotic spheroidal microstructures in the ca. 3.4 Ga Strelley Pool Formation. GEOBIOLOGY 2022; 20:599-622. [PMID: 35712885 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The morphogenesis of most carbonaceous microstructures that resemble microfossils in Archean (4-2.5 Ga old) rocks remains debated. The associated carbonaceous matter may even-in some cases-derive from abiotic organic molecules. Mineral growths associated with organic matter migration may mimic microbial cells, some anatomical features, and known microfossils-in particular those with simple spheroid shapes. Here, spheroid microstructures from a chert of the ca. 3.4 Ga Strelley Pool Formation (SPF) of the Pilbara Craton (Western Australia) were imaged and analyzed with a combination of high-resolution in situ techniques. This provides new insights into carbonaceous matter distributions and their relationships with the crystallographic textures of associated quartz. Thus, we describe five new types of spheroids and discuss their morphogenesis. In at least three types of microstructures, wall coalescence argues for migration of carbonaceous matter onto abiotic siliceous spherulites or diffusion in poorly crystalline silica. The nanoparticulate walls of these coalescent structures often cut across multiple quartz crystals, consistent with migration in/on silica prior to quartz recrystallization. Sub-continuous walls lying at quartz boundaries occur in some coalescent vesicles. This weakens the "continuous carbonaceous wall" criterion proposed to support cellular inferences. In contrast, some clustered spheroids display wrinkled sub-continuous double walls, and a large sphere shows a thick sub-continuous wall with pustules and depressions. These features appear consistent with post-mortem cell alteration, although abiotic morphogenesis remains difficult to rule out. We compared these siliceous and carbonaceous microstructures to coalescent pyritic spheroids from the same sample, which likely formed as "colloidal" structures in hydrothermal context. The pyrites display a smaller size and only limited carbonaceous coatings, arguing that they could not have acted as precursors to siliceous spheroids. This study revealed new textural features arguing for abiotic morphogenesis of some Archean spheroids. The absence of these features in distinct types of spheroids leaves open the microfossil hypothesis in the same rock. Distinction of such characteristics could help addressing further the origin of other candidate microfossils. This study calls for similar investigations of metamorphosed microfossiliferous rocks and of the products of in vitro growth of cell-mimicking structures in presence of organics and silica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Coutant
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Lille, France
- Early Life Traces & Evolution-Astrobiology, UR Astrobiology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Kevin Lepot
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Lille, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), France
| | - Alexandre Fadel
- UMR 8207 - UMET - Unité Matériaux et Transformations, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INRAE, Centrale Lille, Lille, France
| | - Ahmed Addad
- UMR 8207 - UMET - Unité Matériaux et Transformations, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INRAE, Centrale Lille, Lille, France
| | - Elodie Richard
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, US 41 - UAR 2014 - PLBS, Lille, France
| | - David Troadec
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille, Junia, Univ. Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, UMR 8520 - IEMN - Institut d'Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie, Lille, France
| | - Sandra Ventalon
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG - Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Lille, France
| | - Kenichiro Sugitani
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Emmanuelle J Javaux
- Early Life Traces & Evolution-Astrobiology, UR Astrobiology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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4
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González-Flores A, Jin J, Osinski G, Tsujita C. Acritarch-like Microorganisms from the 1.9 Ga Gunflint Chert, Canada. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:568-578. [PMID: 35442767 PMCID: PMC9125578 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fossil evidence of eukaryotic life older than 1.8 Ga has long been debated because known fossils of that age usually lack cellular micro- and ultra-structures that bear strong affinities to eukaryotes. These include fossils of the ∼1.9 Ga Gunflint Chert microbiota that, despite being exceptionally well preserved, have suffered from cellular degradation, which poses challenges to studying their delicate cellular structures. In this study, we use an extended-focal-depth imaging technique, in combination with scanning electron microscopy, to document multiple types of large (10-35 μm diameter), cyst-like bodies based on distinctive details such as (1) radially arranged internal strands similar to those in some acritarchs and dinoflagellates; (2) regularly spaced long tubular processes, stubby pustules, and/or robust podia on the cell surface; (3) reticulate cell-wall sculpturing such as scale-like tubercles, pits, and ridges; and (4) internal bodies that may represent membrane-bound organelles. These micro- and ultra-structures provide strong morphological evidence for the presence of protists in the late Paleoproterozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.L. González-Flores
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
- Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - J. Jin
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - G.R. Osinski
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
- Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - C.J. Tsujita
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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5
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Wiemann J, Briggs DEG. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool in molecular paleobiology: An analytical response to Alleon et al. (https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.202000295). Bioessays 2022; 44:e2100070. [PMID: 34993976 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
A recent article argued that signals from conventional Raman spectroscopy of organic materials are overwhelmed by edge filter and fluorescence artefacts. The article targeted a subset of Raman spectroscopic investigations of fossil and modern organisms and has implications for the utility of conventional Raman spectroscopy in comparative tissue analytics. The inferences were based on circular reasoning centered around the unconventional analysis of spectra from just two samples, one modern, and one fossil. We validated the disputed signals with in situ Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy and through replication with different lasers, filters, and operators in independent laboratories. Our Raman system employs a holographic notch filter which is not affected by edge filter or other artefacts. Multiple lines of evidence confirm that conventional Raman spectra of fossils contain biologically and geologically meaningful information. Statistical analyses of large Raman and FT-IR spectral data sets reveal patterns in fossil composition and yield valuable insights into the history of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmina Wiemann
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA.,Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of LA County, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Derek E G Briggs
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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6
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Chemically Oscillating Reactions during the Diagenetic Formation of Ediacaran Siliceous and Carbonate Botryoids. MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11101060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Chemically oscillating reactions are abiotic reactions that produce characteristic, periodic patterns during the oxidation of carboxylic acids. They have been proposed to occur during the early diagenesis of sediments that contain organic matter and to partly explain the patterns of some enigmatic spheroids in malachite, phosphorite, jasper chert, and stromatolitic chert from the rock record. In this work, circularly concentric self-similar patterns are shown to form in new chemically oscillating reaction experiments with variable mixtures of carboxylic acids and colloidal silica. This is carried out to best simulate in vitro the diagenetic formation of botryoidal quartz and carbonate in two Ediacaran-age geological formations deposited after the Marinoan–Nantuo snowball Earth event in South China. Experiments performed with alkaline colloidal silica (pH of 12) show that this compound directly participates in pattern formation, whereas those with humic acid particles did not. These experiments are particularly noteworthy since they show that pattern formation is not inhibited by strong pH gradients, since the classical Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction occurs in solution with a pH around 2. Our documentation of hundreds of classical Belousov–Zhabotinsky experiments yields a number of self-similar patterns akin to those in concretionary structures after the Marinoan–Nantuo snowball Earth event. Morphological, compositional, and size dimensional comparisons are thus established between patterns from these experiments and in botryoidal quartz and carbonate from the Doushantuo and Denying formations. Selected specimens exhibit circularly concentric layers and disseminations of organic matter in quartz and carbonate, which also occurs in association with sub-micron-size pyrite and sub-millimetre iron oxides within these patterns. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analyses of organic matter extracted from dolomite concretions in slightly younger, early Cambrian Niutitang Formation reveal the presence of carboxylic and N-bearing molecular functional groups. Such mineral assemblages, patterns, and compositions collectively suggest that diagenetic redox reactions take place during the abiotic decay of biomass, and that they involve Fe, sulphate, and organic matter, similarly to the pattern-forming experiments. It is concluded that chemically oscillating reactions are at least partly responsible for the formation of diagenetic siliceous spheroids and concretionary carbonate, which can relate to various other persistent problems in Earth and planetary sciences.
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7
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Precambrian and early Cambrian palaeobiology of India: Quo Vadis. PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s43538-021-00029-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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8
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Rasmussen B, Muhling JR, Fischer WW. Ancient Oil as a Source of Carbonaceous Matter in 1.88-Billion-Year-Old Gunflint Stromatolites and Microfossils. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:655-672. [PMID: 33684328 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The 1.88-billion-year-old Gunflint carbonaceous microfossils are renowned for their exceptional morphological and chemical preservation, attributed to early and rapid entombment in amorphous silica. The carbonaceous matter lining and partly filling filamentous and spherical structures is interpreted to be indigenous, representing thermally altered relicts of cellular material (i.e., kerogen). Here we show that stromatolitic black cherts from the Gunflint Formation, Schreiber Beach, Ontario, Canada, were saturated in syn-sedimentary oil. The thermally altered oil (pyrobitumen), which occurs in the stromatolites and intercolumn sediments, fills pores and fractures, and coats detrital and diagenetic grain surfaces. The occurrence of detrital bitumen grains in the stromatolites points to the proximity of shallow seafloor oil seeps and hence the possible existence of chemosynthetic microbes degrading hydrocarbons. We suggest that hydrocarbons that migrated through the silicifying stromatolites infiltrated semi-hollow microbial molds that formed following silica nucleation on the walls or sheaths of decayed cells. Upon heating, the hydrocarbons were transformed to nanoporous pyrobitumen, retarding silica recrystallization and enhancing detailed preservation of the carbon-rich microfossils. Hydrocarbon infiltration of silicified microbes offers a new explanation for the preservation of the Gunflint microfossils and may have played a role in the formation of some of Earth's oldest microfossils.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Rasmussen
- School of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - J R Muhling
- School of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - W W Fischer
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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9
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Alleon J, Montagnac G, Reynard B, Brulé T, Thoury M, Gueriau P. Pushing Raman spectroscopy over the edge: purported signatures of organic molecules in fossil animals are instrumental artefacts. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2000295. [PMID: 33543495 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Widespread preservation of fossilized biomolecules in many fossil animals has recently been reported in six studies, based on Raman microspectroscopy. Here, we show that the putative Raman signatures of organic compounds in these fossils are actually instrumental artefacts resulting from intense background luminescence. Raman spectroscopy is based on the detection of photons scattered inelastically by matter upon its interaction with a laser beam. For many natural materials, this interaction also generates a luminescence signal that is often orders of magnitude more intense than the light produced by Raman scattering. Such luminescence, coupled with the transmission properties of the spectrometer, induced quasi-periodic ripples in the measured spectra that have been incorrectly interpreted as Raman signatures of organic molecules. Although several analytical strategies have been developed to overcome this common issue, Raman microspectroscopy as used in the studies questioned here cannot be used to identify fossil biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Alleon
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Géopolis, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Gilles Montagnac
- Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, LGL-TPE, Lyon, F-69007, France
| | - Bruno Reynard
- Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, LGL-TPE, Lyon, F-69007, France
| | | | - Mathieu Thoury
- Universitè Paris-Saclay, CNRS, ministère de la Culture, UVSQ, MNHN, Institut photonique d'analyse non-destructive européen des matériaux anciens, Saint-Aubin, 91192, France
| | - Pierre Gueriau
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Géopolis, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
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10
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Rouillard J, van Zuilen M, Pisapia C, Garcia-Ruiz JM. An Alternative Approach for Assessing Biogenicity. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:151-164. [PMID: 33544651 PMCID: PMC7876362 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The search for signs of life in the ancient rock record, extreme terrestrial environments, and other planetary bodies requires a well-established, universal, and unambiguous test of biogenicity. This is notably true for cellular remnants of microbial life, since their relatively simple morphologies resemble various abiogenic microstructures that occur in nature. Although lists of qualitative biogenicity criteria have been devised, debates regarding the biogenicity of many ancient microfossils persist to this day. We propose here an alternative quantitative approach for assessing the biogenicity of putative microfossils. In this theoretical approach, different hypotheses-involving biology or not and depending on the geologic setting-are put forward to explain the observed objects. These hypotheses correspond to specific types of microstructures/systems. Using test samples, the morphology and/or chemistry of these systems are then characterized at the scale of populations. Morphologic parameters include, for example, circularity, aspect ratio, and solidity, while chemical parameters could include elementary ratios (e.g., N/C ratio), isotopic enrichments (e.g., δ13C), or chirality (e.g., molar proportion of stereoisomers), among others. Statistic trends distinguishing the different systems are then searched for empirically. The trends found are translated into "decision spaces" where the different systems are quantitatively discriminated and where the potential microfossil population can be located as a single point. This approach, which is formulated here on a theoretical level, will solve several problems associated with the classical qualitative criteria of biogenicity. Most importantly, it could be applied to reveal the existence of cellular life on other planets, for which characteristics of morphology and chemical composition are difficult to predict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joti Rouillard
- Laboratario de Estudios Cristalograficos, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC—Universidad de Granada, Armilla, Spain
| | - Mark van Zuilen
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 7154, Paris, France
| | - Céline Pisapia
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 7154, Paris, France
| | - Juan-Manuel Garcia-Ruiz
- Laboratario de Estudios Cristalograficos, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC—Universidad de Granada, Armilla, Spain
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11
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Fadel A, Lepot K, Nuns N, Regnier S, Riboulleau A. New preparation techniques for molecular and in-situ analysis of ancient organic micro- and nanostructures. GEOBIOLOGY 2020; 18:445-461. [PMID: 32162473 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Organic microfossils preserved in three dimensions in transparent mineral matrices such as cherts/quartzites, phosphates, or carbonates are best studied in petrographic thin sections. Moreover, microscale mass spectrometry techniques commonly require flat, polished surfaces to minimize analytical bias. However, contamination by epoxy resin in traditional petrographic sections is problematic for the geochemical study of the kerogen in these microfossils and more generally for the in situ analysis of fossil organic matter. Here, we show that epoxy contamination has a molecular signature that is difficult to distinguish from kerogen with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). This contamination appears pervasive in organic microstructures embedded in micro- to nano-crystalline carbonate. To solve this problem, a new semi-thin section preparation protocol without resin medium was developed for micro- to nanoscale in situ investigation of insoluble organic matter. We show that these sections are suited for microscopic observation of Proterozoic microfossils in cherts. ToF-SIMS reveals that these sections are free of pollution after final removal of a <10 nm layer of contamination using low-dose ion sputtering. ToF-SIMS maps of fragments from aliphatic and aromatic molecules and organic sulfur are correlated with the spatial distribution of organic microlaminae in a Jurassic stromatolite. Hydrocarbon-derived ions also appeared correlated with kerogenous microstructures in Archean cherts. These developments in analytical procedures should help future investigations of organic matter and in particular, microfossils, by allowing the spatial correlation of microscopy, spectroscopy, precise isotopic microanalyses, and novel molecular microanalyses such as ToF-SIMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Fadel
- UMR 8187, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Université de Lille, CNRS, Université Littoral Côte d'Opale, Lille, France
| | - Kevin Lepot
- UMR 8187, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Université de Lille, CNRS, Université Littoral Côte d'Opale, Lille, France
| | - Nicolas Nuns
- FR 2638 - IMEC -Institut Michel-Eugène Chevreul, Université de Lille, CNRS, INRA, Centrale Lille, ENSCL, Université d'Artois, Lille, France
| | - Sylvie Regnier
- UMR8198, Evolution, Ecologie et Paléontologie, CNRS, Université de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Armelle Riboulleau
- UMR 8187, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Université de Lille, CNRS, Université Littoral Côte d'Opale, Lille, France
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12
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Maldanis L, Hickman-Lewis K, Verezhak M, Gueriau P, Guizar-Sicairos M, Jaqueto P, Trindade RIF, Rossi AL, Berenguer F, Westall F, Bertrand L, Galante D. Nanoscale 3D quantitative imaging of 1.88 Ga Gunflint microfossils reveals novel insights into taphonomic and biogenic characters. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8163. [PMID: 32424216 PMCID: PMC7235231 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65176-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Precambrian cellular remains frequently have simple morphologies, micrometric dimensions and are poorly preserved, imposing severe analytical and interpretational challenges, especially for irrefutable attestations of biogenicity. The 1.88 Ga Gunflint biota is a Precambrian microfossil assemblage with different types and qualities of preservation across its numerous geological localities and provides important insights into the Proterozoic biosphere and taphonomic processes. Here we use synchrotron-based ptychographic X-ray computed tomography to investigate well-preserved carbonaceous microfossils from the Schreiber Beach locality as well as poorly-preserved, iron-replaced fossil filaments from the Mink Mountain locality, Gunflint Formation. 3D nanoscale imaging with contrast based on electron density allowed us to assess the morphology and carbonaceous composition of different specimens and identify the minerals associated with their preservation based on retrieved mass densities. In the Mink Mountain filaments, the identification of mature kerogen and maghemite rather than the ubiquitously described hematite indicates an influence from biogenic organics on the local maturation of iron oxides through diagenesis. This non-destructive 3D approach to microfossil composition at the nanoscale within their geological context represents a powerful approach to assess the taphonomy and biogenicity of challenging or poorly preserved traces of early microbial life, and may be applied effectively to extraterrestrial samples returned from upcoming space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Maldanis
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Av. Giuseppe Maximo Scolfaro, 10000, 13083-100, Campinas, Brazil. .,Institute of Physics of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, Av. Trabalhador são-carlense, 400, 13566-590, São Carlos, Brazil. .,ISterre, UGA, CNRS, Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers, CS 40700, 38058, Grenoble, France.
| | - K Hickman-Lewis
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Rue Charles Sadron, 45071, Orléans, France.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), Università di Bologna, via Zamboni 67, I-40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - M Verezhak
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - P Gueriau
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, ministère de la culture, UVSQ, IPANEMA, 91192, Saint-Aubin, France.,Institute of Earth Sciences (ISTE), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - M Guizar-Sicairos
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - P Jaqueto
- Department of Geophysics, Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 1226, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - R I F Trindade
- Department of Geophysics, Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 1226, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A L Rossi
- Brazilian Center for Research in Physics (CBPF), R. Dr. Xavier Sigaud, 150, 22290-180, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - F Berenguer
- Synchrotron Soleil, Saint-Aubin, L'Orme des Merisiers, BP 48 Saint-Aubin, 91192, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - F Westall
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Rue Charles Sadron, 45071, Orléans, France
| | - L Bertrand
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, ministère de la culture, UVSQ, IPANEMA, 91192, Saint-Aubin, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, 91190, Saint-Aubin, France
| | - D Galante
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), Av. Giuseppe Maximo Scolfaro, 10000, 13083-100, Campinas, Brazil
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13
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Bonneville S, Delpomdor F, Préat A, Chevalier C, Araki T, Kazemian M, Steele A, Schreiber A, Wirth R, Benning LG. Molecular identification of fungi microfossils in a Neoproterozoic shale rock. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaax7599. [PMID: 32010783 PMCID: PMC6976295 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax7599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Precambrian fossils of fungi are sparse, and the knowledge of their early evolution and the role they played in the colonization of land surface are limited. Here, we report the discovery of fungi fossils in a 810 to 715 million year old dolomitic shale from the Mbuji-Mayi Supergroup, Democratic Republic of Congo. Syngenetically preserved in a transitional, subaerially exposed paleoenvironment, these carbonaceous filaments of ~5 μm in width exhibit low-frequency septation (pseudosepta) and high-angle branching that can form dense interconnected mycelium-like structures. Using an array of microscopic (SEM, TEM, and confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy) and spectroscopic techniques (Raman, FTIR, and XANES), we demonstrated the presence of vestigial chitin in these fossil filaments and document the eukaryotic nature of their precursor. Based on those combined evidences, these fossil filaments and mycelium-like structures are identified as remnants of fungal networks and represent the oldest, molecularly identified remains of Fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Bonneville
- Biogéochimie et Modélisation du Système Terre, Département Géosciences, Environnement et Société, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 50 Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - F. Delpomdor
- Illinois State Geological Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 615 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - A. Préat
- Biogéochimie et Modélisation du Système Terre, Département Géosciences, Environnement et Société, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 50 Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - C. Chevalier
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 12 rue des professeurs Jeener et Brachet, Charleroi 6041, Belgium
| | - T. Araki
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - M. Kazemian
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - A. Steele
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1530 P St NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA
| | - A. Schreiber
- German Research Centre for Geosciences, GFZ, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - R. Wirth
- German Research Centre for Geosciences, GFZ, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - L. G. Benning
- German Research Centre for Geosciences, GFZ, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences, Free University of Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany
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14
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Jacquemot P, Viennet JC, Bernard S, Le Guillou C, Rigaud B, Delbes L, Georgelin T, Jaber M. The degradation of organic compounds impacts the crystallization of clay minerals and vice versa. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20251. [PMID: 31882914 PMCID: PMC6934458 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56756-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Expanding our capabilities to unambiguously identify ancient traces of life in ancient rocks requires laboratory experiments to better constrain the evolution of biomolecules during advanced fossilization processes. Here, we submitted RNA to hydrothermal conditions in the presence of a gel of Al-smectite stoichiometry at 200 °C for 20 days. NMR and STXM-XANES investigations revealed that the organic fraction of the residues is no longer RNA, nor the quite homogeneous aromatic-rich residue obtained in the absence of clays, but rather consists of particles of various chemical composition including amide-rich compounds. Rather than the pure clays obtained in the absence of RNA, electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) and diffraction (XRD) data showed that the mineralogy of the experimental residues includes amorphous silica and aluminosilicates mixed together with nanoscales phosphates and clay minerals. In addition to the influence of clay minerals on the degradation of organic compounds, these results evidence the influence of the presence of organic compounds on the nature of the mineral assemblage, highlighting the importance of fine-scale mineralogical investigations when discussing the nature/origin of organo-mineral microstructures found in ancient rocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Jacquemot
- National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), Sorbonne University, CNRS, Institute of Mineralogy, Material Physics and Cosmochemistry (IMPMC - UMR 7590), F-75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Archeology (LAMS - UMR 8220), F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Viennet
- National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), Sorbonne University, CNRS, Institute of Mineralogy, Material Physics and Cosmochemistry (IMPMC - UMR 7590), F-75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Archeology (LAMS - UMR 8220), F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Bernard
- National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), Sorbonne University, CNRS, Institute of Mineralogy, Material Physics and Cosmochemistry (IMPMC - UMR 7590), F-75005, Paris, France.
| | | | | | - Ludovic Delbes
- National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), Sorbonne University, CNRS, Institute of Mineralogy, Material Physics and Cosmochemistry (IMPMC - UMR 7590), F-75005, Paris, France
| | | | - Maguy Jaber
- Sorbonne University, CNRS, Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Archeology (LAMS - UMR 8220), F-75005, Paris, France
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15
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Abstract
Introduction: Despite an extensive published literature, skepticism over the claim of original biochemicals including proteins preserved in the fossil record persists and the issue remains controversial. Workers using many different techniques including mass spectrometry, X-ray, electron microscopy and optical spectroscopic techniques, have attempted to verify proteinaceous or other biochemicals that appear endogenous to fossils found throughout the geologic column.Areas covered: This paper presents a review of the relevant literature published over the last 50 years. A comparative survey of the reported techniques used is also given.Expert opinion: Morphological and molecular investigations show that original biochemistry is geologically extensive, geographically global, and taxonomically wide-ranging. The survival of endogenous organics in fossils remains the subject of widespread and increasing research investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Thomas
- Mass Spectrometry Group, Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Stephen Taylor
- Mass Spectrometry Group, Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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16
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Callefo F, Maldanis L, Teixeira VC, Abans RADO, Monfredini T, Rodrigues F, Galante D. Evaluating Biogenicity on the Geological Record With Synchrotron-Based Techniques. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2358. [PMID: 31681221 PMCID: PMC6798071 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The biogenicity problem of geological materials is one of the most challenging ones in the field of paleo and astrobiology. As one goes deeper in time, the traces of life become feeble and ambiguous, blending with the surrounding geology. Well-preserved metasedimentary rocks from the Archaean are relatively rare, and in very few cases contain structures resembling biological traces or fossils. These putative biosignatures have been studied for decades and many biogenicity criteria have been developed, but there is still no consensus for many of the proposed structures. Synchrotron-based techniques, especially on new generation sources, have the potential for contributing to this field of research, providing high sensitivity and resolution that can be advantageous for different scientific problems. Exploring the X-ray and matter interactions on a range of geological materials can provide insights on morphology, elemental composition, oxidation states, crystalline structure, magnetic properties, and others, which can measurably contribute to the investigation of biogenicity of putative biosignatures. Here, we provide an overview of selected synchrotron-based techniques that have the potential to be applied in different types of questions on the study of biosignatures preserved in the geological record. The development of 3rd and recently 4th generation synchrotron sources will favor a deeper understanding of the earliest records of life on Earth and also bring up potential analytical approaches to be applied for the search of biosignatures in meteorites and samples returned from Mars in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Callefo
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Lara Maldanis
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
- Institute of Physics of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Verônica C. Teixeira
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Adrián de Oliveira Abans
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
- Interunits Graduate Program in Biotechnology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thiago Monfredini
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Fabio Rodrigues
- Fundamental Chemistry Department, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Douglas Galante
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, Campinas, Brazil
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17
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Javaux EJ. Challenges in evidencing the earliest traces of life. Nature 2019; 572:451-460. [PMID: 31435057 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1436-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Earth has been habitable for 4.3 billion years, and the earliest rock record indicates the presence of a microbial biosphere by at least 3.4 billion years ago-and disputably earlier. Possible traces of life can be morphological or chemical but abiotic processes that mimic or alter them, or subsequent contamination, may challenge their interpretation. Advances in micro- and nanoscale analyses, as well as experimental approaches, are improving the characterization of these biosignatures and constraining abiotic processes, when combined with the geological context. Reassessing the evidence of early life is challenging, but essential and timely in the quest to understand the origin and evolution of life, both on Earth and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle J Javaux
- Early Life Traces & Evolution-Astrobiology, UR Astrobiology, Department of Geology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
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18
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Alleon J, Summons RE. Organic geochemical approaches to understanding early life. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 140:103-112. [PMID: 30858060 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Here we discuss the early geological record of preserved organic carbon and the criteria that must be applied to distinguish biological from non-biological origins. Sedimentary graphite, irrespective of its isotopic composition, does not constitute a reliable biosignature because the rocks in which it is found are generally metamorphosed to the point where convincing signs of life have been erased. Rather, multiple lines of evidence, including sedimentary textures, microfossils, large accumulations of organic matter and isotopic data for co-existing carbon, nitrogen and sulfur are required before biological origin can be convincingly demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Alleon
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Roger E Summons
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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19
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Georgiou R, Gueriau P, Sahle CJ, Bernard S, Mirone A, Garrouste R, Bergmann U, Rueff JP, Bertrand L. Carbon speciation in organic fossils using 2D to 3D x-ray Raman multispectral imaging. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw5019. [PMID: 31497643 PMCID: PMC6716953 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw5019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The in situ two-dimensional (2D) and 3D imaging of the chemical speciation of organic fossils is an unsolved problem in paleontology and cultural heritage. Here, we use x-ray Raman scattering (XRS)-based imaging at the carbon K-edge to form 2D and 3D images of the carbon chemistry in two exceptionally preserved specimens, a fossil plant dating back from the Carboniferous and an ancient insect entrapped in 53-million-year-old amber. The 2D XRS imaging of the plant fossil reveals a homogeneous chemical composition with micrometric "pockets" of preservation, likely inherited from its geological history. The 3D XRS imaging of the insect cuticle displays an exceptionally well preserved remaining chemical signature typical of polysaccharides such as chitin around a largely hollowed-out inclusion. Our results open up new perspectives for in situ chemical speciation imaging of fossilized organic materials, with the potential to enhance our understanding of organic specimens and their paleobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaella Georgiou
- IPANEMA, CNRS, ministère de la culture, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Université Paris-Saclay, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, l’Orme des Merisiers, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pierre Gueriau
- IPANEMA, CNRS, ministère de la culture, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Université Paris-Saclay, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Géopolis, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christoph J. Sahle
- ESRF–The European Synchrotron, 71, avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Sylvain Bernard
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alessandro Mirone
- ESRF–The European Synchrotron, 71, avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Romain Garrouste
- Institut de Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205 MNHN/CNRS/Sorbonne Univ./EPHE/Univ. Antilles, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 50, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Uwe Bergmann
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Jean-Pascal Rueff
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, l’Orme des Merisiers, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Physique–Matière et Rayonnement, LCPMR, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Loïc Bertrand
- IPANEMA, CNRS, ministère de la culture, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Université Paris-Saclay, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, l’Orme des Merisiers, BP 48 St. Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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20
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Nakashima S, Kebukawa Y, Kitadai N, Igisu M, Matsuoka N. Geochemistry and the Origin of Life: From Extraterrestrial Processes, Chemical Evolution on Earth, Fossilized Life's Records, to Natures of the Extant Life. Life (Basel) 2018; 8:E39. [PMID: 30241342 PMCID: PMC6315873 DOI: 10.3390/life8040039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 09/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2001, the first author (S.N.) led the publication of a book entitled "Geochemistry and the origin of life" in collaboration with Dr. Andre Brack aiming to figure out geo- and astro-chemical processes essential for the emergence of life. Since then, a great number of research progress has been achieved in the relevant topics from our group and others, ranging from the extraterrestrial inputs of life's building blocks, the chemical evolution on Earth with the aid of mineral catalysts, to the fossilized records of ancient microorganisms. Here, in addition to summarizing these findings for the origin and early evolution of life, we propose a new hypothesis for the generation and co-evolution of photosynthesis with the redox and photochemical conditions on the Earth's surface. Besides these bottom-up approaches, we introduce an experimental study on the role of water molecules in the life's function, focusing on the transition from live, dormant, and dead states through dehydration/hydration. Further spectroscopic studies on the hydrogen bonding behaviors of water molecules in living cells will provide important clues to solve the complex nature of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoru Nakashima
- Department of Earth and Space Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.
- Undergraduate School of Physics, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.
| | - Yoko Kebukawa
- Department of Earth and Space Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.
- Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan.
| | - Norio Kitadai
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan.
| | - Motoko Igisu
- Department of Subsurface Geobiological Analysis and Research, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan.
| | - Natsuki Matsuoka
- Undergraduate School of Physics, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.
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21
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Wiesendanger R, Wacey D, Tulej M, Neubeck A, Ivarsson M, Grimaudo V, Moreno-García P, Cedeño-López A, Riedo A, Wurz P. Chemical and Optical Identification of Micrometer-Sized 1.9 Billion-Year-Old Fossils by Combining a Miniature Laser Ablation Ionization Mass Spectrometry System with an Optical Microscope. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:1071-1080. [PMID: 30095994 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The recognition of biosignatures on planetary bodies requires the analysis of the putative microfossil with a set of complementary analytical techniques. This includes localized elemental and isotopic analysis of both, the putative microfossil and its surrounding host matrix. If the analysis can be performed with spatial resolution at the micrometer level and ppm detection sensitivities, valuable information on the (bio)chemical and physical processes that influenced the sample material can be gained. Our miniaturized laser ablation ionization mass spectrometry (LIMS)-time-of-flight mass spectrometer instrument is a valid candidate for performing the required chemical analysis in situ. However, up until now it was limited by the spatial accuracy of the sampling. In this contribution, we introduce a newly developed microscope system with micrometer accuracy for Ultra High Vacuum application, which allows a significant increase in the measurement capabilities of our miniature LIMS system. The new enhancement allows identification and efficient and accurate sampling of features of micrometer-sized fossils in a host matrix. The performance of our system is demonstrated by the identification and chemical analysis of signatures of micrometer-sized fossil structures in the 1.9 billion-year-old Gunflint chert.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reto Wiesendanger
- 1 Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- 2 Microsystems for Space Technologies Laboratory, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale, Lausanne, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - David Wacey
- 3 Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Marek Tulej
- 1 Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Anna Neubeck
- 4 Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magnus Ivarsson
- 5 Department of Paleobiology, Nordic Centre for Earth Evolution, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
- 6 Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Valentine Grimaudo
- 7 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Interfacial Electrochemistry Group, University of Bern , Bern, Switzerland
| | - Pavel Moreno-García
- 7 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Interfacial Electrochemistry Group, University of Bern , Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alena Cedeño-López
- 7 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Interfacial Electrochemistry Group, University of Bern , Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Riedo
- 8 Sackler Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University , The Netherlands
| | - Peter Wurz
- 1 Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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22
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Le Guillou C, Bernard S, De la Pena F, Le Brech Y. XANES-Based Quantification of Carbon Functional Group Concentrations. Anal Chem 2018; 90:8379-8386. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b00689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Le Guillou
- Unité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET) MR-CNRS 8207, Université de Lille, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Sylvain Bernard
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 7590, IRD, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Francisco De la Pena
- Unité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET) MR-CNRS 8207, Université de Lille, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Yann Le Brech
- Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, UMR 7274, 54001 Nancy, France
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23
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McMahon S, Bosak T, Grotzinger JP, Milliken RE, Summons RE, Daye M, Newman SA, Fraeman A, Williford KH, Briggs DEG. A Field Guide to Finding Fossils on Mars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2018; 123:1012-1040. [PMID: 30034979 PMCID: PMC6049883 DOI: 10.1029/2017je005478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The Martian surface is cold, dry, exposed to biologically harmful radiation and apparently barren today. Nevertheless, there is clear geological evidence for warmer, wetter intervals in the past that could have supported life at or near the surface. This evidence has motivated National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European Space Agency to prioritize the search for any remains or traces of organisms from early Mars in forthcoming missions. Informed by (1) stratigraphic, mineralogical and geochemical data collected by previous and current missions, (2) Earth's fossil record, and (3) experimental studies of organic decay and preservation, we here consider whether, how, and where fossils and isotopic biosignatures could have been preserved in the depositional environments and mineralizing media thought to have been present in habitable settings on early Mars. We conclude that Noachian-Hesperian Fe-bearing clay-rich fluvio-lacustrine siliciclastic deposits, especially where enriched in silica, currently represent the most promising and best understood astropaleontological targets. Siliceous sinters would also be an excellent target, but their presence on Mars awaits confirmation. More work is needed to improve our understanding of fossil preservation in the context of other environments specific to Mars, particularly within evaporative salts and pore/fracture-filling subsurface minerals.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. McMahon
- Department of Geology and GeophysicsYale UniversityNew HavenCTUSA
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - T. Bosak
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMAUSA
| | - J. P. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - R. E. Milliken
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary SciencesBrown UniversityProvidenceRIUSA
| | - R. E. Summons
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMAUSA
| | - M. Daye
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMAUSA
| | - S. A. Newman
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMAUSA
| | - A. Fraeman
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - K. H. Williford
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - D. E. G. Briggs
- Department of Geology and GeophysicsYale UniversityNew HavenCTUSA
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24
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Miot J, Bernard S, Bourreau M, Guyot F, Kish A. Experimental maturation of Archaea encrusted by Fe-phosphates. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16984. [PMID: 29208997 PMCID: PMC5717249 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17111-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Burial is generally detrimental to the preservation of biological signals. It has often been assumed that (bio)mineral-encrusted microorganisms are more resistant to burial-induced degradation than non-encrusted ones over geological timescales. For the present study, we submitted Sulfolobus acidocaldarius experimentally encrusted by amorphous Fe phosphates to constrained temperature conditions (150 °C) under pressure for 1 to 5 days, thereby simulating burial-induced processes. We document the molecular and mineralogical evolution of these assemblages down to the sub-micrometer scale using X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies and synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy at the carbon K-edge. The present results demonstrate that the presence of Fe-phosphates enhances the chemical degradation of microbial organic matter. While Fe-phosphates remained amorphous in abiotic controls, crystalline lipscombite (FeIIxFeIII3-x(PO4)2(OH)3-x) entrapping organic matter formed in the presence of S. acidocaldarius cells. Lipscombite textures (framboidal vs. bipyramidal) appeared only controlled by the initial level of encrustation of the cells, suggesting that the initial organic matter to mineral ratio influences the competition between nucleation and crystal growth. Altogether these results highlight the important interplay between minerals and organic matter during fossilization, which should be taken into account when interpreting the fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Miot
- IMPMC, Sorbonne Université, MNHN, UPMC, CNRS UMR 7590, 4 pl. Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - S Bernard
- IMPMC, Sorbonne Université, MNHN, UPMC, CNRS UMR 7590, 4 pl. Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - M Bourreau
- MCAM, MNHN, UPMC, CNRS UMR 7245, 63 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - F Guyot
- IMPMC, Sorbonne Université, MNHN, UPMC, CNRS UMR 7590, 4 pl. Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
| | - A Kish
- MCAM, MNHN, UPMC, CNRS UMR 7245, 63 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
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25
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Delarue F, Robert F, Sugitani K, Tartèse R, Duhamel R, Derenne S. Investigation of the Geochemical Preservation of ca. 3.0 Ga Permineralized and Encapsulated Microfossils by Nanoscale Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:1192-1202. [PMID: 29058452 PMCID: PMC5729882 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Observations of Archean organic-walled microfossils suggest that their fossilization took place through both encapsulation and permineralization. In this study, we investigated microfossils from the ca. 3.0 Ga Farrel Quartzite (Pilbara, Western Australia) using transmitted light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman microspectrometry, and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) ion microprobe analyses. In contrast to previous studies, we demonstrated that permineralized microfossils were not characterized by the micrometric spatial relationships between Si and C-N as observed in thin sections. Permineralized microfossils are composed of carbonaceous globules that did not survive the acid treatment, whereas encapsulated microfossils were characterized due to their resistance to the acid maceration procedure. We also investigated the microscale relationship between the 12C14N- and 12C2- ion emission as a proxy of the N/C atomic ratio in both permineralized and encapsulated microfossils. After considering any potential matrix and microtopography effects, we demonstrate that the encapsulated microfossils exhibit the highest level of geochemical preservation. This finding shows that the chemical heterogeneity of the microfossils, observed at a spatial resolution of a few hundreds of micrometers, can be related to fossilization processes. Key Words: Carbonaceous matter-Farrel Quartzite-Fossilization-NanoSIMS-Nitrogen-Permineralization. Astrobiology 17, 1192-1202.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Delarue
- IMPMC Sorbonne Universités–MNHN, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD UMR 206, Paris, France
| | - François Robert
- IMPMC Sorbonne Universités–MNHN, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD UMR 206, Paris, France
| | - Kenichiro Sugitani
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Architecture, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Romain Tartèse
- IMPMC Sorbonne Universités–MNHN, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD UMR 206, Paris, France
| | - Rémi Duhamel
- IMPMC Sorbonne Universités–MNHN, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD UMR 206, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Derenne
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, UMR 7619 METIS, Paris, France
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26
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Gueriau P, Rueff JP, Bernard S, Kaddissy JA, Goler S, Sahle CJ, Sokaras D, Wogelius RA, Manning PL, Bergmann U, Bertrand L. Noninvasive Synchrotron-Based X-ray Raman Scattering Discriminates Carbonaceous Compounds in Ancient and Historical Materials. Anal Chem 2017; 89:10819-10826. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b02202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Gueriau
- IPANEMA, CNRS, Ministère
de la Culture, UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, BP 48 Saint-Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, BP 48 Saint-Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jean-Pascal Rueff
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, BP 48 Saint-Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Sorbonne Universités,
UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, UMR 7614, Laboratoire de Chimie
Physique-Matière et Rayonnement, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Bernard
- IMPMC,
CNRS UMR
7590, Sorbonne Universités, MNHN, UPMC, IRD UMR 206, 61 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Josiane A. Kaddissy
- IPANEMA, CNRS, Ministère
de la Culture, UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, BP 48 Saint-Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Sarah Goler
- Columbia
Nano Initiative, Columbia University, 530 West 120th Street, MC8903 1001
CEPSR, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Christoph J. Sahle
- ESRF-The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Dimosthenis Sokaras
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator
Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Roy A. Wogelius
- University of Manchester, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science & Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life, Manchester M139PL, U.K
| | - Phillip L. Manning
- Department
of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29424, United States
- Department
of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford
Road, Manchester, M139PL, U.K
| | - Uwe Bergmann
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator
Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Loïc Bertrand
- IPANEMA, CNRS, Ministère
de la Culture, UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, BP 48 Saint-Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, BP 48 Saint-Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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27
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Berbee ML, James TY, Strullu-Derrien C. Early Diverging Fungi: Diversity and Impact at the Dawn of Terrestrial Life. Annu Rev Microbiol 2017; 71:41-60. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-030117-020324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mary L. Berbee
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Timothy Y. James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
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28
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Gaboyer F, Le Milbeau C, Bohmeier M, Schwendner P, Vannier P, Beblo-Vranesevic K, Rabbow E, Foucher F, Gautret P, Guégan R, Richard A, Sauldubois A, Richmann P, Perras AK, Moissl-Eichinger C, Cockell CS, Rettberg P, Marteinsson, Monaghan E, Ehrenfreund P, Garcia-Descalzo L, Gomez F, Malki M, Amils R, Cabezas P, Walter N, Westall F. Mineralization and Preservation of an extremotolerant Bacterium Isolated from an Early Mars Analog Environment. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8775. [PMID: 28821776 PMCID: PMC5562696 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08929-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The artificial mineralization of a polyresistant bacterial strain isolated from an acidic, oligotrophic lake was carried out to better understand microbial (i) early mineralization and (ii) potential for further fossilisation. Mineralization was conducted in mineral matrixes commonly found on Mars and Early-Earth, silica and gypsum, for 6 months. Samples were analyzed using microbiological (survival rates), morphological (electron microscopy), biochemical (GC-MS, Microarray immunoassay, Rock-Eval) and spectroscopic (EDX, FTIR, RAMAN spectroscopy) methods. We also investigated the impact of physiological status on mineralization and long-term fossilisation by exposing cells or not to Mars-related stresses (desiccation and radiation). Bacterial populations remained viable after 6 months although the kinetics of mineralization and cell-mineral interactions depended on the nature of minerals. Detection of biosignatures strongly depended on analytical methods, successful with FTIR and EDX but not with RAMAN and immunoassays. Neither influence of stress exposure, nor qualitative and quantitative changes of detected molecules were observed as a function of mineralization time and matrix. Rock-Eval analysis suggests that potential for preservation on geological times may be possible only with moderate diagenetic and metamorphic conditions. The implications of our results for microfossil preservation in the geological record of Earth as well as on Mars are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Gaboyer
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Orléans, France.
| | - C Le Milbeau
- Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans, UMR 7327, CNRS-Université d'Orléans, 1A Rue de la Férollerie, 45071, Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - M Bohmeier
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - P Schwendner
- UK Center for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - P Vannier
- MATIS - Prokaria, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - K Beblo-Vranesevic
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - E Rabbow
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - F Foucher
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Orléans, France
| | - P Gautret
- Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans, UMR 7327, CNRS-Université d'Orléans, 1A Rue de la Férollerie, 45071, Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - R Guégan
- Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans, UMR 7327, CNRS-Université d'Orléans, 1A Rue de la Férollerie, 45071, Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - A Richard
- Centre de Microscopie Electronique, Université d'Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - A Sauldubois
- Centre de Microscopie Electronique, Université d'Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - P Richmann
- Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans, UMR 7327, CNRS-Université d'Orléans, 1A Rue de la Férollerie, 45071, Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - A K Perras
- University Regensburg, Department of Microbiology, Regensburg, Germany.,Medical University of Graz, Department of Internal Medicine, Graz, Austria
| | | | - C S Cockell
- UK Center for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - P Rettberg
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | | | - E Monaghan
- Leiden Observatory, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - P Ehrenfreund
- Leiden Observatory, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - L Garcia-Descalzo
- Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial - Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CAB), Madrid, Spain
| | - F Gomez
- Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial - Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CAB), Madrid, Spain
| | - M Malki
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - R Amils
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - P Cabezas
- European Science Foundation (ESF), Strasbourg, France
| | - N Walter
- European Science Foundation (ESF), Strasbourg, France
| | - F Westall
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Orléans, France
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29
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Alleon J, Bernard S, Le Guillou C, Daval D, Skouri-Panet F, Kuga M, Robert F. Organic molecular heterogeneities can withstand diagenesis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1508. [PMID: 28473702 PMCID: PMC5431453 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01612-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Reconstructing the original biogeochemistry of organic fossils requires quantifying the extent of the chemical transformations that they underwent during burial-induced maturation processes. Here, we performed laboratory experiments on chemically different organic materials in order to simulate the thermal maturation processes that occur during diagenesis. Starting organic materials were microorganisms and organic aerosols. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) was used to collect X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) data of the organic residues. Results indicate that even after having been submitted to 250 °C and 250 bars for 100 days, the molecular signatures of microorganisms and aerosols remain different in terms of nitrogen-to-carbon atomic ratio and carbon and nitrogen speciation. These observations suggest that burial-induced thermal degradation processes may not completely obliterate the chemical and molecular signatures of organic molecules. In other words, the present study suggests that organic molecular heterogeneities can withstand diagenesis and be recognized in the fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Alleon
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Sorbonne Universités - CNRS UMR 7590, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, IRD UMR 206, 61 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.,Department of Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sylvain Bernard
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Sorbonne Universités - CNRS UMR 7590, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, IRD UMR 206, 61 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
| | | | - Damien Daval
- Laboratoire d'Hydrologie et de Géochimie de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg/EOST - CNRS UMR 7517, 1 Rue Blessig, 67084, Strasbourg, France
| | - Feriel Skouri-Panet
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Sorbonne Universités - CNRS UMR 7590, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, IRD UMR 206, 61 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Maïa Kuga
- Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - François Robert
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), Sorbonne Universités - CNRS UMR 7590, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, IRD UMR 206, 61 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
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30
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Sun T, Levin BDA, Guzman JJL, Enders A, Muller DA, Angenent LT, Lehmann J. Rapid electron transfer by the carbon matrix in natural pyrogenic carbon. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14873. [PMID: 28361882 PMCID: PMC5380966 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Surface functional groups constitute major electroactive components in pyrogenic carbon. However, the electrochemical properties of pyrogenic carbon matrices and the kinetic preference of functional groups or carbon matrices for electron transfer remain unknown. Here we show that environmentally relevant pyrogenic carbon with average H/C and O/C ratios of less than 0.35 and 0.09 can directly transfer electrons more than three times faster than the charging and discharging cycles of surface functional groups and have a 1.5 V potential range for biogeochemical reactions that invoke electron transfer processes. Surface functional groups contribute to the overall electron flux of pyrogenic carbon to a lesser extent with greater pyrolysis temperature due to lower charging and discharging capacities, although the charging and discharging kinetics remain unchanged. This study could spur the development of a new generation of biogeochemical electron flux models that focus on the bacteria–carbon–mineral conductive network. Electron transfer reactions govern most biogeochemical processes, yet we have a limited knowledge of the electrochemistry of pyrogenic carbon, a major component of organic matter. Here, the authors quantify electron transfers between pyrogenic carbon and mineral phases under different pyrolysis temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianran Sun
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrated Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Barnaby D A Levin
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, College of Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Juan J L Guzman
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Akio Enders
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrated Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - David A Muller
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, College of Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.,Kavli Institute for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Largus T Angenent
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.,Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14583, USA.,Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, 72074, Germany
| | - Johannes Lehmann
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrated Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.,Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14583, USA
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31
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Iron minerals within specific microfossil morphospecies of the 1.88 Ga Gunflint Formation. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14890. [PMID: 28332570 PMCID: PMC5376642 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Problematic microfossils dominate the palaeontological record between the Great Oxidation Event 2.4 billion years ago (Ga) and the last Palaeoproterozoic iron formations, deposited 500–600 million years later. These fossils are often associated with iron-rich sedimentary rocks, but their affinities, metabolism, and, hence, their contributions to Earth surface oxidation and Fe deposition remain unknown. Here we show that specific microfossil populations of the 1.88 Ga Gunflint Iron Formation contain Fe-silicate and Fe-carbonate nanocrystal concentrations in cell interiors. Fe minerals are absent in/on all organically preserved cell walls. These features are consistent with in vivo intracellular Fe biomineralization, with subsequent in situ recrystallization, but contrast with known patterns of post-mortem Fe mineralization. The Gunflint populations that display relatively large cells (thick-walled spheres, filament-forming rods) and intra-microfossil Fe minerals are consistent with oxygenic photosynthesizers but not with other Fe-mineralizing microorganisms studied so far. Fe biomineralization may have protected oxygenic photosynthesizers against Fe2+ toxicity during the Palaeoproterozoic. Fossil microorganisms older than 1.7 billion years are challenging to interpret due to their size, simple shapes, and alteration. Here, in 1.88 billion year old microfossils, the authors show a pattern of cellular preservation and internal iron nanominerals consistent with oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria.
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