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Filamentous cyanobacteria preserved in masses of fungal hyphae from the Triassic of Antarctica
Harper, Carla Jane Taylor, Edith L. Krings, Michael
Harper, Carla Jane
Taylor, Edith L.
Krings, Michael
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Abstract
Permineralized peat from the central Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica has provided a wealth of information on plant and fungal diversity in Middle Triassic high-latitude forest paleoecosystems; however, there are no reports as yet of algae or cyanobacteria. The first record of a fossil filamentous cyanobacterium in this peat consists of wide, uniseriate trichomes composed of discoid cells up to 25 µm wide, and enveloped in a distinct sheath. Filament morphology, structurally preserved by permineralization and mineral replacement, corresponds to the fossil genus Palaeo-lyngbya, a predominantly Precambrian equivalent of the extant Lyngbya sensu lato (Oscillatoriaceae, Oscillatoriales). Specimens occur exclusively in masses of interwoven hyphae produced by the fungus Endochaetophora antarctica, suggesting that a special micro-environmental setting was required to preserve the filaments. Whether some form of symbiotic relationship existed between the fungus and cyanobacterium remains unknown.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Date
2020-03-02
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PeerJ
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Keywords
Endochaetophora antarctica, Fungal reproduction, Lichen, Mesozoic, Mucoromycota, Oscillatoriaceae, Palaeolyngbya, Peat, Symbiosis
Citation
Harper, C. J., Taylor, E. L., & Krings, M. (2020). Filamentous cyanobacteria preserved in masses of fungal hyphae from the Triassic of Antarctica. PeerJ, 8, e8660. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8660