Geological Society of America

104 D22. Paleontology: Recent Developments in Phylogeny, Morphological Patterns, and Biogeography

Monday, 10 October 2022
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Mile High Ballroom 4C

TREATISE OF INVERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY: A VOLUME DEDICATED TO PROKARYOTES

Paper number: 104-1
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 1:30 PM – 1:45 PM

Authors

Nora Noffke Presenting Author
Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
Russell Shapiro
California State University at Chico, Chico, CA
Pieter Visscher
University of Connecticut, Groton, CT
Frances Westall
University of Orleans, Orleans
Dylan Wilmeth
Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Plouzané
Shuhai Xiao
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Paul Selden
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
William Ausich
Museum of Paleontology and Evolution, Montreal, QC
Noelia B. Carmona
Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, General Roca
Adriana Heimann Rios
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Keyron Hickman-Lewis
Natural History Museum, London
Martin Homann
University College London, London
Ria L. Mitchell
The Natural History Museum, London
Nathan Sheldon
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Abstract

Over the years, prokaryote fossil systematics in paleontology has been discussed off and on. The question also was whether prokaryotes belonged in the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology or not. Prokaryotes dominated the Precambrian, especially of course the older parts. With Precambrian paleontology and geobiology immensely rising, it was timely for the Treatise to develop a volume dedicated to prokaryotes. This first volume starts out by introducing biofilms and microbial mats, highly complex communities of microorganisms that closely interact with each other and their environment. Whereas individual prokaryote cells may be preserved as carbonaceous matter in chert, entire biofilm communities are expressed as microbialites. Of these, the carbonate stromatolites are prominent examples. Biofilms and mats also contributed to the enormous amounts quantities of Banded Iron Formations (BIFs), to date the most important ore deposits in the world. Where mats develop in clastic settings of little to no mineral precipitation, microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) represent the microbialite spectrum. Microbial mats, microbialites, and BIFs constitute large structures, but they may include myriads of microfossils of the ancient structure-formers. Whereas this volume serves the introduction of this topic, future work will contribute to additional volumes focusing on more details.

Reference:

Selden, P., Ausich, W., and authors (2022): Treatise of Invertebrate Paleontology, Prokaryota , Number 162, Part B, Volume 2, Lawrence, Kansas, USA.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 54, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2022AM-381982

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