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Dunn FS, Kenchington CG, Parry LA, Clark JW, Kendall RS, Wilby PR. A crown-group cnidarian from the Ediacaran of Charnwood Forest, UK. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1095-1104. [PMID: 35879540 PMCID: PMC9349040 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01807-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cnidarians are a disparate and ancient phylum, encompassing corals and jellyfish, and occupy both the pelagic and benthic realms. They have a rich fossil record from the Phanerozoic eon lending insight into the early history of the group but, although cnidarians diverged from other animals in the Precambrian period, their record from the Ediacaran period (635–542 million years ago) is controversial. Here, we describe a new fossil cnidarian—Auroralumina attenboroughii gen. et sp. nov.—from the Ediacaran of Charnwood Forest (557–562 million years ago) that shows two bifurcating polyps enclosed in a rigid, polyhedral, organic skeleton with evidence of simple, densely packed tentacles. Auroralumina displays a suite of characters allying it to early medusozoans but shows others more typical of Anthozoa. Phylogenetic analyses recover Auroralumina as a stem-group medusozoan and, therefore, the oldest crown-group cnidarian. Auroralumina demonstrates both the establishment of the crown group of an animal phylum and the fixation of its body plan tens of millions of years before the Cambrian diversification of animal life. A new fossil cnidarian, Auroralumina attenboroughi, from the Ediacaran of Charnwood Forest, UK, described as showing mosaic anthozoan and medusozoan characters, is the oldest yet-known crown-group cnidarian.
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Affiliation(s)
- F S Dunn
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - C G Kenchington
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - L A Parry
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - J W Clark
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - R S Kendall
- British Geological Survey, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - P R Wilby
- British Geological Survey, Nicker Hill, Keyworth, Nottingham, UK.,Department of Geology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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2
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Farrell ÚC, Samawi R, Anjanappa S, Klykov R, Adeboye OO, Agic H, Ahm AC, Boag TH, Bowyer F, Brocks JJ, Brunoir TN, Canfield DE, Chen X, Cheng M, Clarkson MO, Cole DB, Cordie DR, Crockford PW, Cui H, Dahl TW, Mouro LD, Dewing K, Dornbos SQ, Drabon N, Dumoulin JA, Emmings JF, Endriga CR, Fraser TA, Gaines RR, Gaschnig RM, Gibson TM, Gilleaudeau GJ, Gill BC, Goldberg K, Guilbaud R, Halverson GP, Hammarlund EU, Hantsoo KG, Henderson MA, Hodgskiss MS, Horner TJ, Husson JM, Johnson B, Kabanov P, Brenhin Keller C, Kimmig J, Kipp MA, Knoll AH, Kreitsmann T, Kunzmann M, Kurzweil F, LeRoy MA, Li C, Lipp AG, Loydell DK, Lu X, Macdonald FA, Magnall JM, Mänd K, Mehra A, Melchin MJ, Miller AJ, Mills NT, Mwinde CN, O'Connell B, Och LM, Ossa Ossa F, Pagès A, Paiste K, Partin CA, Peters SE, Petrov P, Playter TL, Plaza‐Torres S, Porter SM, Poulton SW, Pruss SB, Richoz S, Ritzer SR, Rooney AD, Sahoo SK, Schoepfer SD, Sclafani JA, Shen Y, Shorttle O, Slotznick SP, Smith EF, Spinks S, Stockey RG, Strauss JV, Stüeken EE, Tecklenburg S, Thomson D, Tosca NJ, Uhlein GJ, Vizcaíno MN, Wang H, White T, Wilby PR, Woltz CR, Wood RA, Xiang L, Yurchenko IA, Zhang T, Planavsky NJ, Lau KV, Johnston DT, Sperling EA. The Sedimentary Geochemistry and Paleoenvironments Project. Geobiology 2021; 19:545-556. [PMID: 34219351 PMCID: PMC9291056 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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Vickers ML, Bernasconi SM, Ullmann CV, Lode S, Looser N, Morales LG, Price GD, Wilby PR, Hougård IW, Hesselbo SP, Korte C. Marine temperatures underestimated for past greenhouse climate. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19109. [PMID: 34580353 PMCID: PMC8476565 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98528-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the Earth's climate system during past periods of high atmospheric CO2 is crucial for forecasting climate change under anthropogenically-elevated CO2. The Mesozoic Era is believed to have coincided with a long-term Greenhouse climate, and many of our temperature reconstructions come from stable isotopes of marine biotic calcite, in particular from belemnites, an extinct group of molluscs with carbonate hard-parts. Yet, temperatures reconstructed from the oxygen isotope composition of belemnites are consistently colder than those derived from other temperature proxies, leading to large uncertainties around Mesozoic sea temperatures. Here we apply clumped isotope palaeothermometry to two distinct carbonate phases from exceptionally well-preserved belemnites in order to constrain their living habitat, and improve temperature reconstructions based on stable oxygen isotopes. We show that belemnites precipitated both aragonite and calcite in warm, open ocean surface waters, and demonstrate how previous low estimates of belemnite calcification temperatures has led to widespread underestimation of Mesozoic sea temperatures by ca. 12 °C, raising estimates of some of the lowest temperature estimates for the Jurassic period to values which approach modern mid-latitude sea surface temperatures. Our findings enable accurate recalculation of global Mesozoic belemnite temperatures, and will thus improve our understanding of Greenhouse climate dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine L. Vickers
- grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XFaculty of Science, Geology Section, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Stefano M. Bernasconi
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Geologisches Institut, Dep. Erdwissenschaften, ETH Zürich, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Clemens V. Ullmann
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN UK ,grid.8391.30000 0004 1936 8024Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE Cornwall UK
| | - Stefanie Lode
- grid.13508.3f0000 0001 1017 5662Department of Petrology and Economic Geology, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Nathan Looser
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Geologisches Institut, Dep. Erdwissenschaften, ETH Zürich, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Luiz Grafulha Morales
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Geologisches Institut, Dep. Erdwissenschaften, ETH Zürich, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland ,grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Scientific Centre for Optical and Electron Microscopy (ScopeM), ETH Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 3, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gregory D. Price
- grid.11201.330000 0001 2219 0747School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA UK
| | - Philip R. Wilby
- grid.474329.f0000 0001 1956 5915British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG UK ,grid.9918.90000 0004 1936 8411School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH UK
| | - Iben Winther Hougård
- grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XFaculty of Science, Geology Section, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Stephen P. Hesselbo
- grid.8391.30000 0004 1936 8024Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE Cornwall UK
| | - Christoph Korte
- grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XFaculty of Science, Geology Section, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
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4
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Dunn FS, Liu AG, Grazhdankin DV, Vixseboxse P, Flannery-Sutherland J, Green E, Harris S, Wilby PR, Donoghue PCJ. The developmental biology of Charnia and the eumetazoan affinity of the Ediacaran rangeomorphs. Sci Adv 2021; 7:eabe0291. [PMID: 34301594 PMCID: PMC8302126 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe0291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Molecular timescales estimate that early animal lineages diverged tens of millions of years before their earliest unequivocal fossil evidence. The Ediacaran macrobiota (~574 to 538 million years ago) are largely eschewed from this debate, primarily due to their extreme phylogenetic uncertainty, but remain germane. We characterize the development of Charnia masoni and establish the affinity of rangeomorphs, among the oldest and most enigmatic components of the Ediacaran macrobiota. We provide the first direct evidence for the internal interconnected nature of rangeomorphs and show that Charnia was constructed of repeated branches that derived successively from pre-existing branches. We find homology and rationalize morphogenesis between disparate rangeomorph taxa, before producing a phylogenetic analysis, resolving Charnia as a stem-eumetazoan and expanding the anatomical disparity of that group to include a long-extinct bodyplan. These data bring competing records of early animal evolution into closer agreement, reformulating our understanding of the evolutionary emergence of animal bodyplans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances S Dunn
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PW, UK.
- British Geological Survey, Nicker Hill, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Alexander G Liu
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Dmitriy V Grazhdankin
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, Prospekt Akademika Koptyuga 3, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova Street 1, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Philip Vixseboxse
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Joseph Flannery-Sutherland
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Emily Green
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Simon Harris
- British Geological Survey, Nicker Hill, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
| | - Philip R Wilby
- British Geological Survey, Nicker Hill, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Philip C J Donoghue
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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Mitchell EG, Harris S, Kenchington CG, Vixseboxse P, Roberts L, Clark C, Dennis A, Liu AG, Wilby PR. The importance of neutral over niche processes in structuring Ediacaran early animal communities. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:2028-2038. [PMID: 31515929 PMCID: PMC6899650 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The relative influence of niche vs. neutral processes in ecosystem dynamics is an on-going debate, but the extent to which they structured the earliest animal communities is unknown. Some of the oldest known metazoan-dominated paleocommunities occur in Ediacaran age (~ 565 million years old) strata in Newfoundland, Canada and Charnwood Forest, UK. These comprise large and diverse populations of sessile organisms that are amenable to spatial point process analyses, enabling inference of the most likely underlying niche or neutral processes governing community structure. We mapped seven Ediacaran paleocommunities using LiDAR, photogrammetry and a laser line probe. We found that neutral processes dominate these paleocommunities, with niche processes exerting limited influence, in contrast with the niche-dominated dynamics of modern marine ecosystems. The dominance of neutral processes suggests that early metazoan diversification may not have been driven by systematic adaptations to the local environment, but instead may have resulted from stochastic demographic differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily G. Mitchell
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridgeCB2 3EQUK
| | - Simon Harris
- British Geological SurveyNicker HillKeyworth, NottinghamNG12 5GGUK
| | | | - Philip Vixseboxse
- School of Earth SciencesUniversity of BristolWills Memorial Building, Queens RoadBristolBS8 1RJUK
| | - Lucy Roberts
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridgeCB2 3EJUK
| | - Catherine Clark
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridgeCB2 3EQUK
| | - Alexandra Dennis
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridgeCB2 3EQUK
| | - Alexander G. Liu
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridgeCB2 3EQUK
| | - Philip R. Wilby
- British Geological SurveyNicker HillKeyworth, NottinghamNG12 5GGUK
- School of Geography, Geology & the EnvironmentUniversity of LeicesterUniversity RoadLeicesterLE1 7RHUK
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6
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Dunn FS, Wilby PR, Kenchington CG, Grazhdankin DV, Donoghue PCJ, Liu AG. Anatomy of the Ediacaran rangeomorph Charnia masoni. Pap Palaeontol 2019; 5:157-176. [PMID: 31007942 PMCID: PMC6472560 DOI: 10.1002/spp2.1234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The Ediacaran macrofossil Charnia masoni Ford is perhaps the most iconic member of the Rangeomorpha: a group of seemingly sessile, frondose organisms that dominates late Ediacaran benthic, deep-marine fossil assemblages. Despite C. masoni exhibiting broad palaeogeographical and stratigraphical ranges, there have been few morphological studies that consider the variation observed among populations of specimens derived from multiple global localities. We present an analysis of C. masoni that evaluates specimens from the UK, Canada and Russia, representing the largest morphological study of this taxon to date. We describe substantial morphological variation within C. masoni and present a new morphological model for this species that has significant implications both for interpretation of rangeomorph architecture, and potentially for existing taxonomic schemes. Previous reconstructions of Charnia include assumptions regarding the presence of structures seen in other rangeomorphs (e.g. an internal stalk) and of homogeneity in higher order branch morphology; observations that are not borne out by our investigations. We describe variation in the morphology of third and fourth order branches, as well as variation in gross structure near the base of the frond. The diagnosis of Charnia masoni is emended to take account of these new features. These findings highlight the need for large-scale analyses of rangeomorph morphology in order to better understand the biology of this long-enigmatic group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances S. Dunn
- School of Earth SciencesUniversity of BristolLife Sciences Building, Tyndall AvenueBristolBS8 1TQUK
- British Geological SurveyNicker Hill, KeyworthNottinghamNG12 5GGUK
| | - Philip R. Wilby
- British Geological SurveyNicker Hill, KeyworthNottinghamNG12 5GGUK
| | | | - Dmitriy V. Grazhdankin
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology & GeophysicsProspekt Akademika Koptyuga 3Novosibirsk630090Russia
- Novosibirsk State UniversityPirogova Street 1Novosibirsk630090Russia
| | - Philip C. J. Donoghue
- School of Earth SciencesUniversity of BristolLife Sciences Building, Tyndall AvenueBristolBS8 1TQUK
| | - Alexander G. Liu
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridgeCB2 3EQUK
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Kenchington CG, Dunn FS, Wilby PR. Modularity and Overcompensatory Growth in Ediacaran Rangeomorphs Demonstrate Early Adaptations for Coping with Environmental Pressures. Curr Biol 2018; 28:3330-3336.e2. [PMID: 30293718 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The first known diverse, complex, macroscopic benthic marine ecosystems (late Ediacaran, ca. 571-541 Ma) were dominated by the Rangeomorpha, an enigmatic group of extinct frondose eukaryotes that are candidate early metazoans [1, 2]. The group is characterized by a self-similar branching architecture that was most likely optimized for exchange, but nearly every other aspect of their biology is contentious [2-4]. We report locally enhanced, aberrant growth ("eccentric branching") in a stalked, multifoliate rangeomorph-Hylaecullulus fordi n. gen., n. sp.-from Charnwood Forest (UK), confirming the presence of true biological modularity within the group. Random branches achieve unusually large proportions and mimic the architecture of their parent branch, rather than that of their neighbors (the norm). Their locations indicate exceptional growth at existing loci, rather than insertion at new sites. Analogous overcompensatory branching in extant modular organisms requires the capacity to orchestrate growth at specific sites and occurs most frequently in response to damage or environmental stress, allowing regeneration toward optimum morphology (e.g., [5-7]). Its presence in rangeomorphs indicates a hitherto unappreciated level of control to their growth plan, a previously unrecognized form of morphological plasticity within the group, and an ability to actively respond to external physical stimuli. The trait would have afforded rangeomorphs resilience to fouling and abrasion, partially accounting for their wide environmental tolerance, and may have pre-adapted them to withstand predation, weakening this argument for their extinction. Our findings highlight that multiple, phylogenetically disparate clades first achieved large size through modularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte G Kenchington
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK.
| | - Frances S Dunn
- British Geological Survey, Nicker Hill, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK; School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Philip R Wilby
- British Geological Survey, Nicker Hill, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
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Hearing TW, Harvey THP, Williams M, Leng MJ, Lamb AL, Wilby PR, Gabbott SE, Pohl A, Donnadieu Y. An early Cambrian greenhouse climate. Sci Adv 2018; 4:eaar5690. [PMID: 29750198 PMCID: PMC5942912 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar5690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The oceans of the early Cambrian (~541 to 509 million years ago) were the setting for a marked diversification of animal life. However, sea temperatures-a key component of the early Cambrian marine environment-remain unconstrained, in part because of a substantial time gap in the stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) record before the evolution of euconodonts. We show that previously overlooked sources of fossil biogenic phosphate have the potential to fill this gap. Pristine phosphatic microfossils from the Comley Limestones, UK, yield a robust δ18O signature, suggesting sea surface temperatures of 20° to 25°C at high southern paleolatitudes (~65°S to 70°S) between ~514 and 509 million years ago. These sea temperatures are consistent with the distribution of coeval evaporite and calcrete deposits, peak continental weathering rates, and also our climate model simulations for this interval. Our results support an early Cambrian greenhouse climate comparable to those of the late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic, offering a framework for exploring the interplay between biotic and environmental controls on Cambrian animal diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. Hearing
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
- British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
| | - Thomas H. P. Harvey
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Mark Williams
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Melanie J. Leng
- NERC Isotope Geoscience Facilities, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
- Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Angela L. Lamb
- NERC Isotope Geoscience Facilities, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
| | - Philip R. Wilby
- British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
| | - Sarah E. Gabbott
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Alexandre Pohl
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Coll France, CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Yannick Donnadieu
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Coll France, CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, France
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9
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Simpson MJ, Glass KE, Wilson JW, Wilby PR, Simon JD, Warren WS. Correction to "Pump-Probe Microscopic Imaging of Jurassic-Aged Eumelanin". J Phys Chem Lett 2014; 5:946. [PMID: 26270972 PMCID: PMC4704696 DOI: 10.1021/jz500406n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Keely E. Glass
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705
| | | | - Philip R. Wilby
- British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, United Kingdom
| | - John D. Simon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904
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Abstract
Melanins are biological pigments found throughout the animal kingdom that have many diverse functions. Pump-probe imaging can differentiate the two kinds of melanins found in human skin, eumelanin and pheomelanin, the distributions of which are relevant to the diagnosis of melanoma. The long-term stability of the melanin pump-probe signal is central to using this technology to analyze melanin distributions in archived tissue samples to improve diagnostic procedures. This report shows that most of the pump-probe signal from eumelanin derived from a Jurassic cephalopod is essentially identical to that of eumelanin extracted from its modern counterpart, Sepia officinalis. However, additional classes of eumelanin signals found in the fossil reveal that the pump-probe signature is sensitive to iron content, which could be a valuable tool for pathologists who cannot otherwise know the microscopic distributions of iron in melanins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Keely E. Glass
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705
| | | | - Philip R. Wilby
- British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, United Kingdom
| | - John D. Simon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904
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Williams M, Siveter DJ, Ashworth AC, Wilby PR, Horne DJ, Lewis AR, Marchant DR. Exceptionally preserved lacustrine ostracods from the Middle Miocene of Antarctica: implications for high-latitude palaeoenvironment at 77 degrees south. Proc Biol Sci 2008; 275:2449-54. [PMID: 18647723 PMCID: PMC2603191 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A newly discovered Konservat-Lagerstätte from the Middle Miocene of the western Olympus Range, Dry Valleys, Antarctica, yields cypridoidean ostracods complete with preserved body and appendages. This is the first record of three-dimensionally fossilized animal soft tissues from the continent. The ostracods are preserved in goethite, secondary after pyrite, representing a novel mode of exceptional preservation. They signal a high-latitude (greater than 77 degrees south) lake setting (Palaeolake Boreas) viable for benthic animal colonization prior to 14 Myr ago. Their presence supports the notion of warmer, tundra-like environmental conditions persisting in the Dry Valleys until the Middle Miocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Williams
- Department of Geology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
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