Braarudosphaera Bigelowii Research Articles

COMPARING LIVING AND HOLOCENE COCCOLITHOPHORE ASSEMBLAGES IN THE AEGEAN MARINE ENVIRONMENTS

Detailed quantitative analyses of coccolithophores performed on the shallow deposits of the southeastern Aegean region (core NS-14, 505 m depth), evidenced that the distribution of calcare-ous nannoplankton assemblages during the last 13 ka BP reflects paleoenvironmental changes which are directly related to parameters such as temperature, salinity, productivity and nutrient flux in the water column. Analysis enabled the separation of the assemblages in four groups. Group A consists of Emiliania huxleyi and the subtropical species Syracosphaera spp. and Rhabdosphaera clavigera, Group B is composed of Helicospaera spp. and Florisphaera profunda, typical species for high productivity conditions in the middle-lower photic zone, Group C consists of Gephyrocapsa oceanica and Braarudosphaera bigelowii, that characterise low salinity conditions and Group D includes Umbilicosphaera spp. and Calcidiscus spp. which are described as relatively eutrophic species. The Holocene assemblages differ distinctly from the living coccolithophore communities in the coastal ecosystems of the Aegean Sea, where only Group A coccolithophores are thriving in the seasonally controlled marine environment.

Coccolith assemblages and their response to climate and surface hydrography in the Yellow Sea, Northwest Pacific, AD 1780–2011

A study of coccolith assemblages from a box core from the central South Yellow Sea (SYS) was performed revealing fluctuations on their relative abundance (%) that can be related to climatic and hydrographic changes over the last 230 years (1780–2011). Total coccolith abundances ranged from 7.0 to 55.1×106 coccoliths·g-1 sediment. Although the abundance of different species varied widely throughout the core, seven taxa dominated the assemblage. Among these species, Gephyrocapsa oceanica was the most dominant species, and it showed an average percentage of 50.1%. The pattern of G. oceanica (eutrophic species) was opposite to that of the combined percentage of Braarudosphaera bigelowii and Umbilicosphaera sibogae (both oligotrophic species), indicating that in the Yellow Sea (YS), the distribution pattern of G. oceanica might be characteristic of nutrient availability. Similar patterns between G. oceanica and the Siberian High were observed on an inter-decadal time scale, indicating that the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) may be an important driver of ecological changes in the YS. When the EAWM prevails, both the Yellow Sea Coastal Current (YSCC) and Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) strengthen, and the increasing nutrient availability and warmer water brought by the strengthened YSWC favor eutrophic and warm-water coccolithophore species, such as G. oceanica. This likely mechanism demonstrates that coccolith assemblages can be used as benign and reliable proxy for climate change and surface oceanography.

Extracellular calcification of Braarudosphaera bigelowii deduced from electron microscopic observations of cell surface structure and elemental composition of pentaliths

We have performed morphological and crystallographic studies of Braarudosphaera bigelowii using various light and electron microscopy techniques. A study by light microscopy revealed that B. bigelowii has a haptonema, and can use it for adhesion to external substrates. A study of the pentaliths by transmission electron microscopy indicates that the well-known trapezoidal lamina is formed with foliate crystals having perfectly identical crystallographic orientation. A cytological study shows that the pentaliths of B. bigelowii are surrounded by an organic structure consisting of a pentalith-substrate and thin organic layers. The pentalith-substrate underlies the proximal surface of the pentaliths and extends between the sides of the individual pentaliths, it also extends between the five trapezoidal segments forming a pentalith. Thin organic layers, which apparently originate from ridges of pentalith-substrate, cover the distal surface of the trapezoidal segments. The close association between the pentalith-substrate, organic layers, and pentaliths leads us to the hypothesis that calcification of the pentaliths occurs between the pentalith-substrate and organic layers, extracellularly. The relatively high Mg content observed in pentaliths supports our hypothesis of extracellular calcification.

Nineteen-year time-series sediment trap study of Coccolithus pelagicus and Emiliania huxleyi (calcareous nannoplankton) fluxes in the Bering Sea and subarctic Pacific Ocean

Coccolithophore fluxes at two sediment trap stations, Station AB in the Bering Sea and Station SA in the subarctic Pacific Ocean, were studied over a nineteen-year (August 1990–July 2009) interval. Two major species, Coccolithus pelagicus and Emiliania huxleyi, occur at both stations, with Gephyrocapsa oceanica, Umbilicosphaera sibogae, Braarudosphaera bigelowii, and Syracosphaera spp. as minor components. The mean coccolithophore fluxes at Stations AB and SA increased from 28.9×106m2d−1 and 61.9×106m2d−1 in 1990–1999 to 54.4×106m2d−1 and 130.2×106m2d−1 in 2002–2009, respectively. Furthermore, in late 1999 to early 2000, there was a significant shift in the most dominant species from E. huxleyi to C. pelagicus. High abundances of E. huxleyi correspond to the positive mode of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), while those of C. pelagicus respond to the PDO negative mode and are related to water temperature changes at <45m depth. The lag between coccolithophore species percentage at Station SA and the PDO shift is one year and four months. The coccolithophore flux maxima appear in June and October–November at both stations; the June flux maximum is caused by C. pelagicus, whereas the October–November maximum is due to E. huxleyi. At both stations the mean seawater temperature in the top 45m from August to October increased ca. 1°C with linear recurrence from 1990 to 2008. The coccosphere fluxes after Year 2000 at Stations AB and SA, and the shift in species dominance, may have been influenced by this warming.

Diazotroph community succession during the VAHINE mesocosm experiment (New Caledonia lagoon)

Abstract. The VAHINE mesocosm experiment, conducted in the low-nutrient low-chlorophyll waters of the Noumea lagoon (coastal New Caledonia) was designed to trace the incorporation of nitrogen (N) fixed by diazotrophs into the food web, using large volume (50 m3) mesocosms. This experiment provided a unique opportunity to study the succession of different N2-fixing microorganisms (diazotrophs) and calculate in situ net growth and mortality rates in response to fertilization with dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) over a 23-day period, using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays targeting widely distributed marine diazotroph lineages. Inside the mesocosms, the most abundant diazotroph was the heterocyst-forming Richelia associated with Rhizosolenia (Het-1) in the first half of the experiment, while unicellular cyanobacterial Group C (UCYN-C) became abundant during the second half of the experiment. Decreasing DIP concentrations following the fertilization event and increasing temperatures were significantly correlated with increasing abundances of UCYN-C. Maximum net growth rates for UCYN-C were calculated to range between 1.23 ± 0.07 and 2.16 ± 0.07 d−1 in the mesocosms, which are among the highest growth rates reported for diazotrophs. Outside the mesocosms in the New Caledonia lagoon, UCYN-C abundances remained low, despite increasing temperatures, suggesting that the microbial community response to the DIP fertilization created conditions favorable for UCYN-C growth inside the mesocosms. Diazotroph community composition analysis using PCR targeting a component of the nitrogenase gene (nifH) verified that diazotrophs targeted in qPCR assays were collectively among the major lineages in the lagoon and mesocosm samples, with the exception of Crocosphaera-like phylotypes, where sequence types not typically seen in the oligotrophic ocean grew in the mesocosms. Maximum net growth and mortality rates for nine diazotroph phylotypes throughout the 23-day experiment were variable between mesocosms, and repeated fluctuations between periods of net growth and mortality were commonly observed. The field population of diazotrophs in the New Caledonian lagoon waters appeared to be dominated by Het-1 over the course of the study period. However, results from both qPCR and PCR analysis indicated a diverse field population of diazotrophs was present in the lagoon at the time of sampling. Two ecotypes of the Braarudosphaera bigelowii symbiont unicellular group A (UCYN-A) were present simultaneously in the lagoon, with the recently described B. bigelowii/UCYN-A2 association present at higher abundances than the B. bigelowii/UCYN-A1 association.

Calcareous nannoplankton assemblage changes linked to paleoenvironmental deterioration and recovery across the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary in the Betic Cordillera (Agost, Spain)

Investigations of calcareous nannoplankton assemblages including species richness and abundance data were performed across the K–Pg boundary interval at Agost (SE Spain), between −100cm and +100cm, below and, respectively, above the boundary, at a considerable high resolution averaging 2cm. From a total of 98 species of the Upper Maastrichtian, only 13 survived mass extinction, while the rest of the 86% vanished in the K–Pg fallout layer. A slight progressive decline in species richness and abundance was observed toward the top of the Maastrichtian, where mixed assemblages, consisting of both cold-water taxa and typical Tethyan ones are present. Four successive acme events were observed, i.e. Markalius inversus and the calcareous dinoflagellate genus Thoracosphaera starting from the base of the Paleocene, followed by those of Braarudosphaera bigelowii and Neobiscutum parvulum. The most prominent acme intervals belong to Thoracosphaera spp. and B. bigelowii, opportunistic taxa, for which the survival strategy may be linked to their capability to encyst and survive severe environmental deterioration. At the upper part of the studied succession, calcareous nannoplankton assemblages are already dominated by survivor species, as well as incoming ones, showing an early pioneer calcareous nannoplankton ecosystems about 35–40kyr after the K–Pg boundary. Correlation between the calcareous nannoplankton assemblage fluctuation, including species richness and abundance, and the paleoenvironmental changes, such as the eustatic and climatic modifications, are also discussed.

Global distribution and vertical patterns of a prymnesiophyte-cyanobacteria obligate symbiosis.

A marine symbiosis has been recently discovered between prymnesiophyte species and the unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium UCYN-A. At least two different UCYN-A phylotypes exist, the clade UCYN-A1 in symbiosis with an uncultured small prymnesiophyte and the clade UCYN-A2 in symbiosis with the larger Braarudosphaera bigelowii. We targeted the prymnesiophyte-UCYN-A1 symbiosis by double CARD-FISH (catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization) and analyzed its abundance in surface samples from the MALASPINA circumnavigation expedition. Our use of a specific probe for the prymnesiophyte partner allowed us to verify that this algal species virtually always carried the UCYN-A symbiont, indicating that the association was also obligate for the host. The prymnesiophyte-UCYN-A1 symbiosis was detected in all ocean basins, displaying a patchy distribution with abundances (up to 500 cells ml(-1)) that could vary orders of magnitude. Additional vertical profiles taken at the NE Atlantic showed that this symbiosis occupied the upper water column and disappeared towards the Deep Chlorophyll Maximum, where the biomass of the prymnesiophyte assemblage peaked. Moreover, sequences of both prymnesiophyte partners were searched within a large 18S rDNA metabarcoding data set from the Tara-Oceans expedition around the world. This sequence-based analysis supported the patchy distribution of the UCYN-A1 host observed by CARD-FISH and highlighted an unexpected homogeneous distribution (at low relative abundance) of B. bigelowii in the open ocean. Our results demonstrate that partners are always in symbiosis in nature and show contrasted ecological patterns of the two related lineages.

Re-discovery of a “living fossil” coccolithophore from the coastal waters of Japan and Croatia

The extant coccolithophore Tergestiella adriatica Kamptner, which had not been reported since its original description in 1940, was recently re-discovered in coastal-nearshore waters at Tomari, Tottori (Japan) and offshore Rovinj (Croatia). Morphological analysis shows that extant Tergestiella and the Mesozoic genus Cyclagelosphaera (Watznaueriaceae), thought to have been extinct since the early Eocene (~ 54 Ma), are virtually identical. Molecular phylogenetic study supports the inference that T. adriatica is a direct descendent of Cyclagelosphaera . It is therefore a remarkable example of a living fossil. Our documentation of patchy coastal distribution in living T. adriatica and records of rare occurrences of fossil Cyclagelosphaera in Oligocene–Miocene shallow water sediments , from the New Jersey shelf, suggest that Tergestiella / Cyclagelosphaera was restricted to nearshore environments during much of the Cenozoic. This restricted ecology explains the lack of fossil Tergestiella / Cyclagelosphaera recorded in open ocean sediments deposited during the last 54 myr. Floristic study of coccolithophores in the coastal and offshore waters of Tomari over a six-year period, show that T. adriatica occurs synchronously with the unusual neritic species, Braarudosphaera bigelowii , in mid-June. The environmental factors that induce the co-occurrence of these two taxa are uncertain, and T. adriatica did not co-occur with B. bigelowii at any other sites. • Extant Tergestiella adriatica Kamptner was re-discovered from coastal waters. • Mesozoic genus Cyclagelosphaera is a synonym of extant Tergestiella . • Cyclagelosphaera did not go extinct in the early Eocene. • Calcareous plankton survivors of the K/Pg event were predominantly neritic.

A Trapezium Generates Tiling of Concentric Regular Pentagons

A case of tiling using a single tile of golden trapezium is presented and each of the five pentagonal sectors when seen in isolation, reveals planes of translation suggesting periodicity. It is shown that this tile not only tessellates Euclidean plane, expanding to infinity, but also maintains perfect regular pentagonal outline at each completed generation of tiling. The entire tiling suggests a five-fold intergrowth structure of a twinned crystal, which should yield sum of five discrete and superimposed ordered periodic diffraction patterns. Clue to this tiling was primarily provided by a Coccolithophore species: Braarudosphaera bigelowii, which makes an elegant regular pentagonal dodecahedron of mineral Calcite, invisible to unaided human eye. Ke yw ords: Golden Trapezium, Periodic Tiling, Concentric Regular Pentagons, Twinned Crystal, Braarudosphaera bigelowii

Coccolithophore assemblages during the Holocene Climatic Optimum in the NE Mediterranean (Aegean and northern Levantine Seas, Greece): Paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic implications

Recent paleoceanographic findings suggest that during the Holocene, NE Mediterranean climate was less stable than previously thought. Several recently generated Aegean paleoceanographic records of sapropel S1 suggest that during the Holocene short-term potentially global cooling episodes, reflecting the N. Atlantic climatic fluctuations and possibly related to solar variability, are superimposed on the underlying regional subtropical/tropical control on the hydrography and ecosystems. Detailed quantitative analyses of coccolithophores have been performed on the deep sea deposits of the NE Mediterranean Sea; four gravity core records from North Aegean Sea (SL- 152), SE Aegean (NS-14, NS-18) and South Cretan continental Margin/northern Levantine Sea (HCMR 2/22) respectively, with a focus on the regional expression of sapropel S1 deposition. In all sites, higher values of Florisphaera profunda, Helicosphaera carteri, Braarudosphaera bigelowii and the increase of stratification S-index within sapropel intervals can be interpreted as the result of elevated marine production in the deep photic zone and enhanced inflow of fresh water input during the S1 period. The stratification S-index is significantly higher in the North Aegean, in respect to SE Aegean and the South Cretan Margin (SCM), reflecting increased coccolithophore productivity at the lower photic zone, being associated with a remarkably stratified water column. The concomitant increased presence of B. bigelowii indicates the prominent riverine input in the North Aegean basins and possible influx of Black Sea waters after ∼9.0 ka BP. Consequently, the increased stratification of the water column is linked to the significant freshening of the North Aegean surface waters, particularly during the early stages of the Holocene Climatic Optimum (S1a depositional interval). A series of cooling events detected towards the end of sapropelic conditions (∼7.2 ka BP) mostly in the North Aegean site, may be linked to outbursts of cold northerly air masses and relevant pulses in the deep-intermediate water ventilation that caused the enhancement of surface marine productivity and the temporary cessation of S1 at ∼ 8.0 ka BP. In contrast, in the SE Aegean and the northern Levantine Sea, the water column remains still warm and stratified, influenced by moderate fresh water input, for at least 1 more ky.

Discovery of an Endosymbiotic Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacterium UCYN-A in Braarudosphaera bigelowii (Prymnesiophyceae)

Braarudosphaera bigelowii (Prymnesiophyceae) is a coastal coccolithophore with a long fossil record, extending back to the late Cretaceous (ca. 100 Ma). A recent study revealed close phylogenetic relationships between B. bigelowii, Chrysochromulina parkeae (Prymnesiophyceae), and a prymnesiophyte that forms a symbiotic association with the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium UCYN-A. In order to further examine these relationships, we conducted transmission electron microscopic and molecular phylogenetic studies of B. bigelowii. TEM studies showed that, in addition to organelles, such as the nucleus, chloroplasts and mitochondria, B. bigelowii contains one or two spheroid bodies with internal lamellae. In the 18S rDNA tree of the Prymnesiophyceae, C. parkeae fell within the B. bigelowii clade, and was close to B. bigelowii Genotype III (99.89% similarity). Plastid 16S rDNA sequences obtained from B. bigelowii were close to the unidentified sequences from the oligotrophic SE Pacific Ocean (e.g. HM133411) (99.86% similarity). Bacterial16S rDNA sequences obtained from B. bigelowii were identical to the UCYN-A sequence AY621693 from Arabian Sea, and fell in the UCYN-A clade. From these results, we suggest that; 1) C. parkeae is the alternate life cycle stage of B. bigelowii sensu stricto or that of a sibling species of B. bigelowii, and 2) the spheroid body of B. bigelowii originated from endosymbiosis of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium UCYN-A.

Late Maastrichtian Calcareous Nannofossil Biostratigraphy and Paleoecology of the Tamera Well, Siwa Area, Western Desert, Egypt

The upper Cretaceous interval of the Khoman Formation in the Tamera well, Siwa area, Western Desert of Egypt was studied for the first time on the basis of calcareous nannofossils. Twenty-one nannofossil species were identified from this interval. The study interval includes the Micula murus Zone, which is precisely dated as Late Maastrichtian age. The Micula murus Zone includes besides the marker species: Micula decussata, Watznaueria barnesae, Arkhangelsktella cymbiformis and relatively rare occurrences of Eiffellithus turrisieffellii, Cribrosphaerella ehrenbergii, Thoracosphaera operculata and Braarudosphaera bigelowii. The latest Maastrichtian Micula prinsi Zone is missing, and an unconformity surface is detected in this well. The high abundance of Micula decussata is indicative of very low surface productivity and high-stress environmental conditions. Several nannofossil species are recognized as cool water indicators such as Micula decussata, and Arkhangelsktella cymbiformis.

Braarudosphaera bigelowii morphotypes in the surface sediments of the southwestern South China Sea

The present study reports on the distribution and occurrence of Braarudosphaera bigelowii in the surface sediments of the western part of the South China Sea (SCS), along the coast of Vietnam. This part of the SCS is a known upwelling region, characterized by low salinity conditions due to high annual rainfall and river run-off, confirming the results of earlier studies regarding the occurrence of B. bigelowii in shallow bays, nearshore, low salinity marine waters and upwelling areas. Morphometric analysis of B. bigelowii pentaliths in the western SCS revealed the presence of the 3 morphotypes proposed by Takano et al. (2006) based on the pentalith side lengths from coccospheres encountered in surface water samples. This paper also reports the occurrence of a new B. bigelowii morphotype in the SCS, corresponding to specimens with a pentalith side length of 3.5-4.0 microm. An attempt to relate the distribution of these morphotypes with temperature and salinity proved to be inconclusive, suggesting the possibility that other factors could be influencing the occurrence of the morphotypes in the study area.

Paleoenvironmental changes at the lower Pleistocene Montalbano Jonico section (southern Italy): Global versus regional signals

Integrated high resolution data from calcareous plankton assemblages (foraminifera and nannofossils) together with geochemical and mineralogical investigations have been collected at the on-land Montalbano Jonico section (southern Italy) in order to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental changes through Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 23–37. Time-series analysis on Globigerina bulloides and Cassidulina carinata δ18O records and on selected calcareous plankton proxies mainly revealed the occurrence of precession and obliquity forcing. The deposition of sapropel layers, which are interbedded in the Montalbano Jonico section, was driven by water column stratification (insolation cycle i-104) and enhanced sea surface water productivity (insolation cycle i-112, i-102 and i-86). Different paleoenvironmental conditions mark the sedimentary evolution of the section. From 1240 to 1082ka (MIS 37–MIS 32), high percentage abundances of warm and oligotrophic planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossil taxa indicate the establishment of oligotrophic and stratified surface water conditions. A key paleoenvironmental change occurred during MIS 31 (from about 1080 to 1065ka), which was a very warm interglacial characterized by an increase of tropical–subtropical (Globigerinoides ruber group and Globigerinoides trilobus) and low salinity (Braarudosphaera bigelowii) sea surface water taxa. During this interval, more humid climate conditions coupled with changes in local paleomorphology may have triggered a higher and unusual freshwater input and the creation of a new entry point for sediment supply into the basin from a different drainage area. From about 1065 to 1010ka (MIS 30–MIS 29), a cool and dry climate prevailed in the circum-Mediterranean area during a time of precession maxima. This favored lowered sea surface temperatures and an increase of polar-water Neogloboquadrina pachyderma left coiling. There are also indications of a reduction of the terrigenous input from the new source area. From 1010ka upward (MIS 28–MIS 23), the higher abundances of Globigerina bulloides, Turborotalita quinqueloba and Calciosolenia spp. indicate enhanced productivity conditions probably related to high turbidity of sea surface waters triggered by a more conspicuous sediment input from land. Analysis of the long-term trends in the multiproxy patterns suggests that the major paleoenvironmental changes occurred as a consequence of the combined effect of orbitally-controlled global climate and regional processes.

Nannoplankton Assemblage Succession Throughout Cretaceous/ Tertiary Boundary in the “P” Well Section, Santos Basin, Brazil

DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v6i1.115The massive change in calcareous nannoplankton assemblages throughout Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary (65.5 M.a.) has been illustrated by several authors. The diverse and abundant assemblage disappears suddenly above the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. This event is related to the most dramatic environmental changes in the Earth's history due to the catastrophic events, those are meteorite impact (Chicxulub) and supervolcano eruption (Deccan) occurring at the end of Cretaceous. The succeeding age was a time of rapid evolution of nannoplankton during Paleocene. A quantitative method analysis of nannoplankton throughout Maastrichtian to Paleocene of “P” well section, Santos Basin, Brazil, indicated that the nannoplankton assemblages abruptly decrease in diversity and abundance and mostly change in species composition. The various complex shapes of species at Maastrichtian also underwent changing to simple plain shapes and small at Paleocene. The sedimentary section ranges from the top of zone CC23 (Coccolith Cretaceous 23) to NP9 (Nannoplankton Paleogen 9). It is bounded by the Last Occurrence (LO) of Tranolithus pachelosus at the base and Fasciculithus tympaniformis at the top. The biostratigraphic discontinuity characterized by the absence of zone CC26 to NP4 is an indicator for the presence of an unconformity at K/T boundary within analyzed section. The Cretaceous nannoplankton assemblages are dominated by Genera Watznaueria, Micula, Arkhangelskiella, Cribrosphaerella, Eiffellithus, Predicosphaera, and Retecapsa, whilst the Paleocene assemblages are dominated by Genera Toweius, Ericsonia, and Coccolithus. Survivor Cretaceous species recovered into Tertiary sediments consist of Braarudosphaera bigelowii, Biscutum melaniae, Neocrepidolithus neocrassus, Placozygus sigmoides, Cyclagelosaphaera reinhardtii, Markalius inversus, and Scapolithus fossilis.

Holocene litho- and biostratigraphy of the NW Black Sea (Romanian shelf)

Detailed lithological and micropaleontological studies were performed on several cores from the Romanian Black Sea shelf, located in front of the Danube Delta, in front of the Razelm–Sinoe lagoonal complex, close to the Eforie beach, as well as on the Romanian inner shelf. All the studied cores are situated at a water depth varying between 12m and 67m. The purpose of the investigations was to reveal Upper Holocene lithological changes and the associated calcareous nannoplankton fluctuations in a very shallow marine setting such as the Romanian Black Sea inner shelf. The youngest Holocene unit or “Shallow Unit” is composed of alternating sequences of mud, silt, clay and coquina layers, containing marine mollusc faunas. The upper part of the Shallow Unit contains blooms of the nannoplankton species Emiliania huxleyi, while its lower part yields, besides common E. huxleyi, rare specimens of Braarudosphaera bigelowii. The Shallow Unit overlies a “shell hash layer”, mainly made by coquinas, containing mixing marine and brackish mollusc faunas. Towards the upper part of this level, monospecific assemblages with B. bigelowii were observed in a layer rich in carbonate acicular crystals. The Shallow Unit partly corresponds to the Unit 1 (finely laminated coccolith ooze) and Unit 2 (sapropelic sediments) of slope and basinal settings of the Black Sea. The layer rich in carbonate acicular crystals could be a shallower equivalent of the oldest layer of aragonite bands placed at the lower part of the Unit 2 in deep parts of the Black Sea. In the analyzed cores, the oldest lithological unit (Unit 3, the muddy clay sediments deposited in a brackish to freshwater environment) is characterized by the deposition of green-yellowish clay devoid of any Holocene calcareous nannoplankton species and containing brackish mollusc faunas. Based on nannofloral fluctuations, an increasing salinity from the base towards the upper part of the Shallow Unit may be supposed, together with the progressive establishment of a stable marine setting, similar to today.

Pseudo-cryptic speciation in Braarudosphaera bigelowii (Gran and Braarud) Deflandre

Partial SSU rDNA sequences were obtained from 13 naturally collected cells of Braarudosphaera bigelowii obtained from various parts of seas surrounding Japan. Together with the two previously reported sequences, 15 specimens were classified into five SSU rDNA Genotypes I–V. Based on the side length of the pentaliths forming the coccosphere, these specimens were also classified into three size-morphotypes; Intermediate form-A, Intermediate form-B, and Large form. Genotypes of B. bigelowii were well correlated with size-morphotypes but not with sampling area. This result indicates that size differences in B. bigelowii are the results of speciation and not of intra-population variety. Therefore, Genotypes I and II (Intermediate form-A) and Genotypes IV and V (Large form) are regarded as pseudo-cryptic sibling species of typical B. bigelowii (Genotype III, Intermediate form-B), which corresponds to the original description of the species. From the SSU rDNA sequences, it is evident that Genotype V arose from Genotype IV, and Genotype IV originated from Genotype III. The specimens of Genotypes III–V showed size increase of pentaliths in accordance with their branching order. The consistency in the relationship between genotypes and size-morphotypes of living B. bigelowii-complex observed in this study suggests that inconsistency of size range of ‘ B. bigelowii’ pentaliths among different geological ages reported by palaeontological studies stems from additional pseudo-cryptic speciation in the lineage of ‘ B. bigelowii’ in the geological past.

Unusual Braarudosphaera bigelowii and Micrantholithus vesper enrichment in the Early Miocene sediments from the Slovenian Corridor, a seaway linking the Central Paratethys and the Mediterranean

During a stratigraphic survey of an Early Miocene sedimentary sequence outcropping in SE Slovenia an unusual enrichment of the calcareous nannoplankton assemblage with pentaliths – pentagonal nannoliths consisting of five crystal units and showing radial symmetry – was detected. Pentaliths were only abundant in a short interval, which was sampled in detail. The lithological composition of this interval was indistinguishable from that of the underlying and the overlying strata. The composition of nannoplankton assemblages and distribution patterns of different taxa were studied. Mineral composition, total calcite content and δ 13C values of chosen sediment samples were analysed as well. The pentalith-enriched strata were deposited in the lower Early Miocene, corresponding to the Egerian stage of the Central Paratethys and the Aquitanian of the Mediterranean, in the Slovenian Corridor — a seaway linking the Central Paratethys and the Mediterranean. The presence of rare specimens of Discoaster druggii and Helicosphaera carteri allows stratigraphic correlation with the transition of NN1 — Triquetrorhabdulus carinatus Zone and NN2 — Discoaster druggii Zone of Martini [Martini, E., 1971. Standard Tertiary and Quarternary calcareous nannoplankton zonation. In: Farinacci, A. (Ed.), Proceedings of the II Planctonic Conference, Roma, 1970, Ed. Technoscienza, pp. 739–785]. Pentaliths belong to two species: Braarudosphaera bigelowii and Micrantholithus vesper. Both species display a wide range of morphological variation and most likely represent a group of sibling species. The pattern of distribution of both species displays obvious similarities throughout most of the studied interval. In the upper part of the studied interval B. bigelowii reaches maximum abundance, while M. vesper disappears. Since the ability of B. bigelowii to thrive in hyposaline water is well known, it appears that M. vesper tolerates reduced water salinity as well, but to a lesser extent than B. bigelowii. No significant paleoclimatic and paleogeographical changes are known in this particular region during the Early Miocene, however, the onset of far reaching extensional tectonic processes took place during this time. The enrichment of nannoplankton assemblage with pentaliths may represent a reflection of a short-lived episode of hyposaline conditions. Enhanced influx of freshwater and terrigenous material is indicated by a drop in 13C values, a rise in nannoplankton productivity and the presence of sand in some samples from the pentalith-enriched strata. The most likely causes of this episode are regional tectonic changes, associated with the onset of intensive tectonic activity in the western part of the Central Paratethys.

Holocene biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental changes in the Black Sea based on calcareous nannoplankton

In this study, detailed micropaleontological analyses were carried out on 270 samples from eight piston cores collected in the Black Sea. The primary goal was to elucidate the Late Quaternary evolution of the Black Sea, specifically to refine its biostratigraphy and to explore the Holocene paleoenvironmental changes. Three intervals were recognized in all the cores studied, irrespective of whether they were from the basin or the shelf. These intervals are characterized, from old to young, by the spotty occurrence, the presence and the local acme of Emiliania huxleyi respectively. Moreover, the species Braarudosphaera bigelowii is, in contrast to the younger units, absent in the oldest unit. The co-occurrence of the two marine species E. huxleyi and B. bigelowii suggests a shift from fresh–brackish water to low-salinity marine conditions in the Black Sea. The spotty and very rare occurrence of E. huxleyi in the lowermost unit is reported here for the first time. Two hypotheses are suggested: the presence of reworked specimens from Eemian outcrops, or the presence of low salinity waters also during the “lacustrine” phase of the basin. Another feature observed in almost all the cores is the presence of a multi-lamina aragonite level in the upper part of the Ecozone 3, which functions as a marker for basin-wide correlations. The parallel study of water samples and surficial sediment assemblages demonstrates the presence of Syracosphaera lamina in the surface water samples and its absence in the sediments, suggesting dissolution in the water column. On the other hand, the occurrence of B. bigelowii in all cores and its near-absence in water and in recent sediment samples suggest a change in water conditions during recent times.

Phylogenetic affinities of an enigmatic nannoplankton, Braarudosphaera bigelowii based on the SSU rDNA sequences

The phylogenetic position of an enigmatic calcareous nannoplankton Braarudosphaera bigelowii, whose taxonomic position has long been questioned, was investigated using molecular genetic methods. The SSU rDNA sequences of B. bigelowii were obtained using a single cell PCR technique independently from two single cells isolated from field samples. A BLAST search revealed that the SSU rDNA of B. bigelowii was most similar to those of the division Haptophyta. Subsequent phylogenetic analyses showed that B. bigelowii was included in a clade comprising members of the orders Isochrysidales and Coccolithales, the genus Chrysoculter and two unidentified haptophytes. Morphometric measurements of extant B. bigelowii populations were made to obtain precise information on their intraspecific size variation. The results showed that these populations could be subdivided into a small form (< 2.4 μm), an intermediate form A (4.0–5.3 μm), and an intermediate form B (5.3–7.2 μm), although the borders of the latter two forms overlapped. The SSU rDNA sequences showed the presence of 10-bp substitutions plus six insertions/deletions between specimens of intermediate forms A and B. The levels of DNA variation between them suggested that these two forms are genetically distinct from each other.