Researchers studying old and new fossil collections recently discovered an ancient bacterial species called . Langella Skulfieldiwas one of the first to colonize land over 407 million years ago.
L. Scafield It is a type of cyanobacteria, Haparosiphonaceae family. These microorganisms proliferated among early land plants during the early Devonian period.
Although cyanobacteria have been recorded by scientists for a long time, little is known about how these tiny photosynthetic organisms were able to get out of the water and live on land. However, a new study conducted by palaeontologist Dr. Christine Strull-Derrien and her team at the National History Museum has revealed that: L. Scafield is the oldest species of cyanobacteria known to have lived on land, and this discovery helped fill a gap.
“The 3D reconstruction allowed us to see evidence of the divergence that is characteristic of the Hapalosiphonaceae cyanobacteria,” Strullu-Derrien explained in the paper. statement.
“This is interesting because it means these are the oldest cyanobacteria of this type found on land.”
Cyanobacterial fossils are among the oldest ever discovered, with the oldest believed to be about 2 billion years old.
These bacteria, known today as blue-green algae (which is actually a misnomer since they are not algae), live in and around aquatic environments around the world, including oceans and rivers, as well as on wet rocks (even in Antarctica). It also lives in , and in damp sand.
Cyanobacteria have played a fundamental role in shaping Earth’s history, making it hospitable to complex life and influencing evolution more generally. Through photosynthesis, they helped produce the oxygen we need to live.In doing so, they probably big oxygen eventsometime between 2.4 and 2.1 billion years ago.
At this time, methane, the main gas on Earth, was replaced by oxygen and became the main component of the atmosphere. This event caused what is believed to be the first mass extinction, as anaerobic organisms were unable to adapt to the conditions.
“Cyanobacteria in the early Devonian period played the same role as they do today,” added Dr. Strull-Derrien. “Some organisms use them as food, but they are also important for photosynthesis. When plants first started colonizing land, they were already present and may have competed with plants for space. It turns out there’s even a sex.”
What is the difference? Langella Skulfieldi make?
L. Scooffield II It was first discovered in 1959 in rock fragments found at the Rhynie Chert fossil site in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. However, it has been difficult to properly test these specimens, although more recent specimens have been recovered from the same area and are easier to analyze.
The key feature Dr. Strullu-Derrien and colleagues were looking for was signs of “true bifurcation.” This happens when bacteria grow in a line next to each other and some break off in different directions to form branches. However, not all cyanobacteria exhibit this true divergence.
Therefore, if you find L. Scooffield II The presence of Rhynie chert samples is a big deal because it allows scientists to confirm that it was present in the region’s wetland ecosystem. Essentially, they were able to make the leap from water to land and thrive.
During the Early Devonian period, the landscape of this part of Scotland would have been very different to what it is today. This land was actually closer to the equator and would have experienced a much warmer tropical climate. This would have made the Rhiney Chert an area covered by moist sandy flats with brackish pools.
However, this was a time before trees and other complex life forms existed, so the environment would have been much different from the lush greenery. In these sparse kingdoms, fungi, bacteria, and algae reigned supreme, competing for life on rocks near the water’s edge.
Since plants had not yet evolved complex deep roots, they likely grew on microbial mats formed by these microorganisms, forming important interactions at this early stage of life on Earth.
“The Rhiney Chert is an iconic site because it is 400 million years old and much of the environment from that time has been preserved,” explained Dr. Strull-Derien.
“This is the only place where traces of all living things – plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and algae – are found together. You can see the interactions between species that would have occurred.”
This study iscience.