How to translate text using browser tools
31 August 2020 THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF BIOEROSION IN CHITINOUS LACUSTRINE MICROFOSSILS FROM GLACIAL LAKES (LATE PLEISTOCENE AND HOLOCENE, BOHEMIAN FOREST)
Katarína Holcová, Vladimír Suchánek, Zuzana Heřmanová, Daniel Vondrák
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Microbioerosion structures are a common sign of microbial activity known mainly from marine environments and calcareous substrates, or from pollen records. However, the same phenomenon has been overlooked in animal fossils preserved in lake sediments. We studied 430 fragments of chitinous microfossils from three central European glacial lakes and detected microboring structures in approximately 10%. The microfossils belong to two size groups: (1) spherical objects with lengths ranging from 50 to 300 µm that are probably microturbelarian (Turbellaria: Rhabdocoela) cocoons, and (2) larger remnants (up to 2 mm long) of caddisfly (Insecta: Trichoptera) frontoclypeal apotomes. Four microbioerosion morphotypes were distinguished: (1) small holes (< 0.6 µm) oriented perpendicular to microfossil walls, likely produced by bacteria or fungi; (2) simple meandering tunnels and; (3) asterisk-like tunnel structures produced by fungi and/or fungus-like organisms; and (4) abrasions caused by biofilms. The maximum diameter of the simple holes and both tunnel structures depended on host-microfossil size: a higher diversity of microbioerosions was found on larger chitinous fragments. We propose that the good preservation of microfossils in the studied sediment samples might be due to rapid transport to the anoxic profundal zone or by rapid burial in anoxic sediments.

Copyright © 2020, SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology)
Katarína Holcová, Vladimír Suchánek, Zuzana Heřmanová, and Daniel Vondrák "THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF BIOEROSION IN CHITINOUS LACUSTRINE MICROFOSSILS FROM GLACIAL LAKES (LATE PLEISTOCENE AND HOLOCENE, BOHEMIAN FOREST)," PALAIOS 35(8), 317-326, (31 August 2020). https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2020.008
Received: 30 January 2020; Accepted: 2 July 2020; Published: 31 August 2020
JOURNAL ARTICLE
10 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top