Microbial Cretaceous park: biodiversity of microbial fossils entrapped in amber |
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Authors: | Ana Martín-González Jacek Wierzchos Juan C Gutiérrez Jesús Alonso Carmen Ascaso |
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Institution: | (1) Departamento de Microbiología-III, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense, c/ José Antonio Novais 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain;(2) Instituto de Recursos Naturales, Centro de Ciencias Medioambientales (CSIC), c/ Serrano 115 bis, 28006 Madrid, Spain;(3) Museo de Ciencias Naturales de álava, c/ Siervas de Jesús 24, 01001 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain |
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Abstract: | Microorganisms are the most ancient cells on this planet and they include key phyla for understanding cell evolution and Earth
history, but, unfortunately, their microbial records are scarce. Here, we present a critical review of fossilized prokaryotic
and eukaryotic microorganisms entrapped in Cretaceous ambers (but not exclusively from this geological period) obtained from
deposits worldwide. Microbiota in ambers are rather diverse and include bacteria, fungi, and protists. We comment on the most
important microbial records from the last 25 years, although it is not an exhaustive bibliographic compilation. The most frequently
reported eukaryotic microfossils are shells of amoebae and protists with a cell wall or a complex cortex. Likewise, diverse
dormant stages (palmeloid forms, resting cysts, spores, etc.) are abundant in ambers. Besides, viral and protist pathogens
have been identified inside insects entrapped in amber. The situation regarding filamentous bacteria and fungi is quite confusing
because in some cases, the same record was identified consecutively as a member of these phylogenetically distant groups.
To avoid these identification errors in the future, we propose to apply a more resolute microscopic and analytical method
in amber studies. Also, we discuss the most recent findings about ancient DNA repair and bacterial survival in remote substrates,
which support the real possibility of ancient DNA amplification and bacterial resuscitation from Cretaceous resins. |
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Keywords: | Amber Cretaceous Protists Bacteria Fungi Pathogen |
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