Filamentous cyanobacteria preserved in masses of fungal hyphae from the Triassic of Antarctica
Abstrak
Permineralized peat from the central Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica has provided a wealth of information on plant and fungal diversity in Middle Triassic high-latitude forest paleoecosystems; however, there are no reports as yet of algae or cyanobacteria. The first record of a fossil filamentous cyanobacterium in this peat consists of wide, uniseriate trichomes composed of discoid cells up to 25 µm wide, and enveloped in a distinct sheath. Filament morphology, structurally preserved by permineralization and mineral replacement, corresponds to the fossil genus Palaeo-lyngbya, a predominantly Precambrian equivalent of the extant Lyngbya sensu lato (Oscillatoriaceae, Oscillatoriales). Specimens occur exclusively in masses of interwoven hyphae produced by the fungus Endochaetophora antarctica, suggesting that a special micro-environmental setting was required to preserve the filaments. Whether some form of symbiotic relationship existed between the fungus and cyanobacterium remains unknown.
Topik & Kata Kunci
Penulis (3)
Carla J. Harper
Edith L. Taylor
Michael Krings
Akses Cepat
- Tahun Terbit
- 2020
- Sumber Database
- DOAJ
- DOI
- 10.7717/peerj.8660
- Akses
- Open Access ✓