Massive expansion of marine archaea during a mid-Cretaceous oceanic anoxicevent

Citation
Mmm. Kuypers et al., Massive expansion of marine archaea during a mid-Cretaceous oceanic anoxicevent, SCIENCE, 293(5527), 2001, pp. 92-94
Citations number
27
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Multidisciplinary,Multidisciplinary,Multidisciplinary
Journal title
SCIENCE
ISSN journal
0036-8075 → ACNP
Volume
293
Issue
5527
Year of publication
2001
Pages
92 - 94
Database
ISI
SICI code
0036-8075(20010706)293:5527<92:MEOMAD>2.0.ZU;2-Q
Abstract
Biogeochemical and stable carbon isotopic analysis of black-share sequences deposited during an Albian oceanic anoxic event (similar to 112 million ye ars ago) indicate that up to 80 weight percent of sedimentary organic carbo n is derived from marine, nonthermophilic archaea, The carbon-13 content of archaeal molecular fossils indicates that these archaea were Living chemoa utotrophically. Their massive expansion may have been a response to the str ong stratification of the ocean during this anoxic event. Indeed, the sedim entary record of archaeal membrane lipids suggests that this anoxic event m arks a time in Earth history at which certain hyperthermophilic archaea ada pted to low-temperature environments.