Alteration of Oceanic Volcanic Glass: Textural Evidence of Microbial Activity

Fisk, Martin; Giovannoni, Stephen J.; Thorseth, Ingunn H.

doi:10.1126/science.281.5379.978

Cited by 350 publications

(241 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Endolithic microborings are well known from silicified carbonate sediments younger than ca 1650 Myr (e.g. Zhang & Golubic 1987) and have been reported from the glassy margins of pillow basalts in modern settings (Fisk et al 1998; Banerjee al. 2004).…”

Section: Endoliths and The Warrawoona 'Microtubes'mentioning

confidence: 99%

A fresh look at the fossil evidence for early Archaean cellular life

Brasier

McLoughlin

Green

et al. 2006

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

257

154

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The rock record provides us with unique evidence for testing models as to when and where cellular life first appeared on Earth. Its study, however, requires caution. The biogenicity of stromatolites and 'microfossils' older than 3.0 Gyr should not be accepted without critical analysis of morphospace and context, using multiple modern techniques, plus rejection of alternative non-biological (null) hypotheses. The previous view that the co-occurrence of biology-like morphology and carbonaceous chemistry in ancient, microfossil-like objects is a presumptive indicator of biogenicity is not enough. As with the famous Martian microfossils, we need to ask not 'what do these structures remind us of ?', but 'what are these structures?' Earth's oldest putative 'microfossil' assemblages within 3.4-3.5 Gyr carbonaceous cherts, such as the Apex Chert, are likewise self-organizing structures that do not pass tests for biogenicity.There is a preservational paradox in the fossil record prior to ca 2.7 Gyr: suitable rocks (e.g. isotopically light carbonaceous cherts) are widely present, but signals of life are enigmatic and hard to decipher. One new approach includes detailed mapping of well-preserved sandstone grains in the ca 3.4 Gyr Strelley Pool Chert. These can contain endolithic microtubes showing syngenicity, grain selectivity and several levels of geochemical processing. Preliminary studies invite comparison with a class of ambient inclusion trails of putative microbial origin and with the activities of modern anaerobic proteobacteria and volcanic glass euendoliths.

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Section: Endoliths and The Warrawoona 'Microtubes'mentioning

confidence: 99%

A fresh look at the fossil evidence for early Archaean cellular life

Brasier

McLoughlin

Green

et al. 2006

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

257

154

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“…Early molecular diversity studies of hydrocarbon-and chlorinatedsolvent contaminated aquifers revealed the presence of microorganisms belonging to known bacterial phyla as well as divergent lineages affiliated with candidate divisions or defining novel candidate-division-level groups (Dojka et al 1998). By contrast to hydrocarbonpolluted aquifers, organic matter is scarce in aquifers associated with deep underground systems, such as deep mines (Pedersen 2000) or the deep sub-seafloor (Fisk et al 1998, Edwards et al 2005. Microbial life in such systems is thought to be largely based on chemolithoautotrophy and metabolic rates may be extremely low (Parkes et al 2005, Schippers et al 2005.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeal and bacterial community composition of a pristine coastal aquifer in Doñana National Park, Spain

López-Archilla

Moreira²,

Velasco³

et al. 2007

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

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We studied the biological activity and prokaryotic diversity associated with 2 samples of different physico-chemical characteristics in a pristine coastal aquifer at Doñana National Park, south-western Spain. Sulphate reduction, denitrification and iron-metabolising activities were detected in the aquifer, as well as different enzymatic activities related to the degradation of labile and complex pools of organic matter. Prokaryotic diversity was assessed by environmental 16S rRNA gene amplification, cloning and sequencing. Bacterial diversity was greater in the shallower aquifer sample (49S1, 15 m depth), including members of the Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes, Nitrospirae, some divergent lineages and the candidate divisions SPAM, OP3, OP11, 'Endomicrobia' or Termite Group 1 and a novel division-level group including denitrifying bacteria associated to anaerobic methane-oxidising archaea, whereas only Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were detected in the deeper sample (56S, 80 m depth). By contrast, archaea seemed much more diverse in the deeper aquifer sample, with members of the Methanomicrobiales, ANME2-related Methanosarcinales and other divergent lineages, whereas only Group I Crenarchaeota were detected in the shallower sample. Betaproteobacteria were the most abundant and diverse group in both sample libraries, together with the Gammaproteobacteria in the deeper and more saline 56S sample. We detected microorganisms potentially involved in carbon, sulphur and nitrogen cycling. Interestingly, members of both aerobic (Alpha-and Gammaproteobacteria) and anaerobic methane oxidisers (ANME2 archaea) were found in the same aquifer sample.

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“…These observations raise intriguing questions about the role that microorganisms play in biogeochemical cycling in basalts. Biological alteration of basalt by microorganisms has been the focus of numerous studies, with compelling evidence suggesting that they do play a part in this process (Thorseth et al, 1995;Giovannoni et al, 1996;Fisk et al, 1998Fisk et al, , 2003Torsvik et al, 1998;Furnes and Staudigel, 1999;Furnes et al, 2001Furnes et al, , 2004Banerjee and Muehlenbachs, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prokaryotic diversity, distribution, and insights into their role in biogeochemical cycling in marine basalts

et al. 2008

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We used molecular techniques to analyze basalts of varying ages that were collected from the East Pacific Rise, 91 N, from the rift axis of the Juan de Fuca Ridge and from neighboring seamounts. Cluster analysis of 16S rDNA terminal restriction fragment polymorphism data revealed that basalt endoliths are distinct from seawater and that communities clustered, to some degree, based on the age of the host rock. This age-based clustering suggests that alteration processes may affect community structure. Cloning and sequencing of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes revealed 12 different phyla and subphyla associated with basalts. These include the Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospirae, the candidate phylum SBR1093 in the bacteria, and in the Archaea Marine Benthic Group B, none of which have been previously reported in basalts. We delineated novel ocean crust clades in the c-Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes and Actinobacteria that are composed entirely of basalt-associated microflora, and may represent basalt ecotypes. Finally, microarray analysis of functional genes in basalt revealed that genes coding for previously unreported processes such as carbon fixation, methane oxidation, methanogenesis and nitrogen fixation are present, suggesting that basalts harbor previously unrecognized metabolic diversity. These novel processes could exert a profound influence on ocean chemistry.

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Alteration of Oceanic Volcanic Glass: Textural Evidence of Microbial Activity

Cited by 350 publications

References 13 publications

A fresh look at the fossil evidence for early Archaean cellular life

A fresh look at the fossil evidence for early Archaean cellular life

Archaeal and bacterial community composition of a pristine coastal aquifer in Doñana National Park, Spain

Prokaryotic diversity, distribution, and insights into their role in biogeochemical cycling in marine basalts

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