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Looking for the oldest diatoms

Brylka, Karolina LU orcid ; Richoz, Sylvain LU ; Alverson, Andrew J. LU and Conley, Daniel J. LU orcid (2024) In Marine Micropaleontology
Abstract
Paleontological observations of ancient flora and fauna provide powerful insights into past diversity and relationship
dynamics between organisms and their environments. Diatoms are globally distributed protists that
influence major biogeochemical cycles and sustain oceanic food webs. The fossil diatom record extends 120
million years back to the Early Cretaceous where rare deposits were discovered worldwide and are occasionally
represented by diverse communities. However scarce, the taxonomic richness and geographical spread of these
diatom communities suggest prior evolutionary events and therefore earlier deposits. To complement the existing
fossil information and to discover diatom deposits predating 120 Ma, we... (More)
Paleontological observations of ancient flora and fauna provide powerful insights into past diversity and relationship
dynamics between organisms and their environments. Diatoms are globally distributed protists that
influence major biogeochemical cycles and sustain oceanic food webs. The fossil diatom record extends 120
million years back to the Early Cretaceous where rare deposits were discovered worldwide and are occasionally
represented by diverse communities. However scarce, the taxonomic richness and geographical spread of these
diatom communities suggest prior evolutionary events and therefore earlier deposits. To complement the existing
fossil information and to discover diatom deposits predating 120 Ma, we examined 33 study sites from cores and
outcrops across oceans and continents. These efforts did not generate new fossil discoveries, however. Our
assessment suggests biogenic silica that comprises the cell wall of diatoms was likely dissolved from Mesozoic
sediments through diagenetic processes. Altogether, the search for the oldest diatoms must continue but should
target sediments that experienced shallow burial and concretions. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
diatoms, fossil record, Mesozoic
in
Marine Micropaleontology
issue
190
article number
102371
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85195171096
ISSN
0377-8398
DOI
10.1016/j.marmicro.2024.102371
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2b50aec1-e174-4fda-86d2-a74d676e9d15
date added to LUP
2024-06-20 17:16:47
date last changed
2025-04-26 10:08:35
@article{2b50aec1-e174-4fda-86d2-a74d676e9d15,
  abstract     = {{Paleontological observations of ancient flora and fauna provide powerful insights into past diversity and relationship<br/>dynamics between organisms and their environments. Diatoms are globally distributed protists that<br/>influence major biogeochemical cycles and sustain oceanic food webs. The fossil diatom record extends 120<br/>million years back to the Early Cretaceous where rare deposits were discovered worldwide and are occasionally<br/>represented by diverse communities. However scarce, the taxonomic richness and geographical spread of these<br/>diatom communities suggest prior evolutionary events and therefore earlier deposits. To complement the existing<br/>fossil information and to discover diatom deposits predating 120 Ma, we examined 33 study sites from cores and<br/>outcrops across oceans and continents. These efforts did not generate new fossil discoveries, however. Our<br/>assessment suggests biogenic silica that comprises the cell wall of diatoms was likely dissolved from Mesozoic<br/>sediments through diagenetic processes. Altogether, the search for the oldest diatoms must continue but should<br/>target sediments that experienced shallow burial and concretions.}},
  author       = {{Brylka, Karolina and Richoz, Sylvain and Alverson, Andrew J. and Conley, Daniel J.}},
  issn         = {{0377-8398}},
  keywords     = {{diatoms; fossil record; Mesozoic}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{190}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Marine Micropaleontology}},
  title        = {{Looking for the oldest diatoms}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marmicro.2024.102371}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.marmicro.2024.102371}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}