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Chen J, Hogancamp N, Lu M, Ikejiri T, Malina N, Ojeda A, Sun Y, Lu Y. Lipid biomarkers recording marine microbial community structure changes through the Frasnian-Famennian mass extinction event. GEOBIOLOGY 2023; 21:725-742. [PMID: 37455407 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Studying the response and recovery of marine microbial communities during mass extinction events provides an evolutionary window through which to understand the adaptation and resilience of the marine ecosystem in the face of significant environmental disturbances. The goal of this study is to reconstruct changes in the marine microbial community structure through the Late Devonian Frasnian-Famennian (F-F) transition. We performed a multiproxy investigation on a drill core of the Upper Devonian New Albany Shale from the Illinois Basin (western Kentucky, USA). Aryl isoprenoids show green sulfur bacteria expansion and associated photic zone euxinia (PZE) enhancement during the F-F interval. These changes can be attributed to augmented terrigenous influxes, as recorded collectively by the long-chain/short-chain normal alkane ratio, carbon preference index, C30 moretane/C30 hopane, and diahopane index. Hopane/sterane ratios reveal a more pronounced dominance of eukaryotic over prokaryotic production during the mass extinction interval. Sterane distributions indicate that the microalgal community was primarily composed of green algae clades, and their dominance became more pronounced during the F-F interval and continued to rise in the subsequent periods. The 2α-methylhopane index values do not show an evident shift during the mass extinction interval, whereas the 3β-methylhopane index values record a greater abundance of methanotrophic bacteria during the extinction interval, suggesting enhanced methane cycling due to intensified oxygen depletion. Overall, the Illinois Basin during the F-F extinction experienced heightened algal productivity due to intensified terrigenous influxes, exhibiting similarities to contemporary coastal oceans that are currently undergoing globalized cultural eutrophication. The observed microbial community shifts associated with the F-F environmental disturbances were largely restricted to the extinction interval, which suggests a relatively stable, resilient marine microbial ecosystem during the Late Devonian.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- Molecular Eco-Geochemistry (MEG) Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Nicholas Hogancamp
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Man Lu
- Molecular Eco-Geochemistry (MEG) Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Takehito Ikejiri
- Molecular Eco-Geochemistry (MEG) Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Alabama Museum of Natural History, The University of Alabama, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Natalia Malina
- Department of Geosciences, Auburn University, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Ann Ojeda
- Department of Geosciences, Auburn University, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - YongGe Sun
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, Key Laboratory of Geoscience Big Data and Deep Resource of Zhejiang Province, School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - YueHan Lu
- Molecular Eco-Geochemistry (MEG) Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
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Cao H, Hu L, Wang Z, He W, Chen F, Hou Q, Chen C. Isotopic evidence of environmental changes during the Devonian-Carboniferous transition in South China and its implications for the biotic crisis. GEOBIOLOGY 2023; 21:592-611. [PMID: 37194680 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12559] [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: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The Devonian-Carboniferous (D-C) transition coincides with the Hangenberg Crisis, carbon isotope anomalies, and the enhanced preservation of organic matter associated with marine redox fluctuations. The proposed driving factors for the biotic extinction include variations in the eustatic sea level, paleoclimate fluctuation, climatic conditions, redox conditions, and the configuration of ocean basins. To investigate this phenomenon and obtain information on the paleo-ocean environment of different depositional facies, we studied a shallow-water carbonate section developed in the periplatform slope facies on the southern margin of South China, which includes a well-preserved succession spanning the D-C boundary. The integrated chemostratigraphic trends reveal distinct excursions in the isotopic compositions of bulk nitrogen, carbonate carbon, organic carbon, and total sulfur. A distinct negative δ15 N excursion (~-3.1‰) is recorded throughout the Middle Si. praesulcata Zone and the Upper Si. praesulcata Zone, when the Hangenberg mass extinction occurred. We attribute the nitrogen cycle anomaly to enhanced microbial nitrogen fixation, which was likely a consequence of intensified seawater anoxia associated with increased denitrification, as well as upwelling of anoxic ammonium-bearing waters. Negative excursions in the δ13 Ccarb and δ13 Corg values were identified in the Middle Si. praesulcata Zone and likely resulted from intense deep ocean upwelling that amplified nutrient fluxes and delivered 13 C-depleted anoxic water masses. Decreased δ34 S values during the Middle Si. praesulcata Zone suggests an increasing contribution of water-column sulfate reduction under euxinic conditions. Contributions of organic matter produced by anaerobic metabolisms to the deposition of shallow carbonate in the Upper Si. praesulcata Zone is recorded by the nadir of δ13 Corg values associated with maximal △13 C. The integrated δ15 N-δ13 C-δ34 S data suggest that significant ocean-redox variation was recorded in South China during the D-C transition; and that this prominent fluctuation was likely associated with intense upwelling of deep anoxic waters. The temporal synchrony between the development of euxinia/anoxia and the Hangenberg Event indicates that the redox oscillation was a key factor triggering manifestations of the biodiversity crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansheng Cao
- Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Liumei Hu
- Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zaiyun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Wentong He
- College of Earth Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Fajin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Qinghua Hou
- Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Chunqing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Climate, Resources and Environment in Continental Shelf Sea and Deep Sea of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
- Laboratory for Coastal Ocean Variation and Disaster Prediction, College of Ocean and Meteorology, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China
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Sahoo SK, Gilleaudeau GJ, Wilson K, Hart B, Barnes BD, Faison T, Bowman AR, Larson TE, Kaufman AJ. Basin-scale reconstruction of euxinia and Late Devonian mass extinctions. Nature 2023; 615:640-645. [PMID: 36890233 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05716-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
The Devonian-Carboniferous transition marks a fundamental shift in the surface environment primarily related to changes in ocean-atmosphere oxidation states1,2, resulting from the continued proliferation of vascular land plants that stimulated the hydrological cycle and continental weathering3,4, glacioeustasy5,6, eutrophication and anoxic expansion in epicontinental seas3,4, and mass extinction events2,7,8. Here we present a comprehensive spatial and temporal compilation of geochemical data from 90 cores across the entire Bakken Shale (Williston Basin, North America). Our dataset allows for the detailed documentation of stepwise transgressions of toxic euxinic waters into the shallow oceans that drove a series of Late Devonian extinction events. Other Phanerozoic extinctions have also been related to the expansion of shallow-water euxinia, indicating that hydrogen sulfide toxicity was a key driver of Phanerozoic biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Bruce Hart
- Equinor US, Houston, TX, USA
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ben D Barnes
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Toti E Larson
- Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Xia L, Cao J, Lee C, Stüeken EE, Zhi D, Love GD. A new constraint on the antiquity of ancient haloalkaliphilic green algae that flourished in a ca. 300 Ma Paleozoic lake. GEOBIOLOGY 2021; 19:147-161. [PMID: 33331051 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12423] [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: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
It is established that green algae and land plants progressively colonized freshwater and terrestrial habitats throughout the Paleozoic Era, but little is known about the ecology of Paleozoic saline lakes. Here, we report lipid biomarker and petrographic evidence for the occurrence of a green alga as a major primary producer in a late Paleozoic alkaline lake (Fengcheng Formation; 309-292 Ma). A persistently saline and alkaline lacustrine setting is supported by mineralogical and lipid biomarker evidence alongside extremely enriched δ15 Nbulk values (+16 to +24‰) for the lake depocenter. The prominence of C28 and C29 steroids, co-occurring with abundant carotene-derived accessory pigment markers in these ancient rocks, is suggestive of prolific primary production and elevated source inputs from haloalkaliphilic green algae. The high C28 /C29 -sterane ratios (0.78-1.29) are significantly higher than the typical marine value reported for late Paleozoic rocks (<0.5) and thus are associated with certain groups of chlorophytes. Adaptation to such extreme lacustrine environments, aided by enhanced biosynthesis of certain cell membrane lipids, likely played an important role in the evolution and physiological development of ancient green algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuwen Xia
- MOE Key Laboratory of Surficial Geochemistry, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jian Cao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Surficial Geochemistry, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Carina Lee
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
- Universities Space Research Association, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | - Dongming Zhi
- PetroChina Xinjiang Oilfield Company, Karamay, China
| | - Gordon D Love
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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Broda K, Marynowski L, Rakociński M, Zatoń M. Coincidence of photic zone euxinia and impoverishment of arthropods in the aftermath of the Frasnian-Famennian biotic crisis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16996. [PMID: 31740678 PMCID: PMC6861261 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52784-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The lowermost Famennian deposits of the Kowala quarry (Holy Cross Mountains, Poland) are becoming famous for their rich fossil content such as their abundant phosphatized arthropod remains (mostly thylacocephalans). Here, for the first time, palaeontological and geochemical data were integrated to document abundance and diversity patterns in the context of palaeoenvironmental changes. During deposition, the generally oxic to suboxic conditions were interrupted at least twice by the onset of photic zone euxinia (PZE). Previously, PZE was considered as essential in preserving phosphatised fossils from, e.g., the famous Gogo Formation, Australia. Here, we show, however, that during PZE, the abundance of arthropods drastically dropped. The phosphorous content during PZE was also very low in comparison to that from oxic-suboxic intervals where arthropods are the most abundant. As phosphorous is essential for phosphatisation but also tends to flux off the sediment during bottom water anoxia, we propose that the PZE in such a case does not promote the fossilisation of the arthropods but instead leads to their impoverishment and non-preservation. Thus, the PZE conditions with anoxic bottom waters cannot be presumed as universal for exceptional fossil preservation by phosphatisation, and caution must be paid when interpreting the fossil abundance on the background of redox conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Broda
- Department of Palaeontology and Stratigraphy, University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Będzińska 60, 41-205, Sosnowiec, Poland.
| | - Leszek Marynowski
- Department of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrography, University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Będzińska 60, 41-205, Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Michał Rakociński
- Department of Palaeontology and Stratigraphy, University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Będzińska 60, 41-205, Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Michał Zatoń
- Department of Palaeontology and Stratigraphy, University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Będzińska 60, 41-205, Sosnowiec, Poland
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