Oxfordian microbial laminites from La Manga Formation, Neuquén Basin, Argentina: Remarkable nanobacteria preservation

Exceptionally preserved stromatolites have been found in the shallow marine carbonate facies of the Callovian-Oxfordian La Manga Formation,in the Neuquén Basin (Argentina). The stromatolites exhibit planar and crinkle lamination, often disrupted by sheet-cracks, mudcracks, and fenestral structures,...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Palma, Ricardo Manuel, Kietzmann, Diego Alejandro, Comerio, Marcos, Martín Chivelet, J., López Gómez, J., Bressan, Graciela Susana
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:Argentina
Institución:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/60519
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/60519
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:stromatolite
nanobacteria
Jurassic
Neuquén Basin
Argentina
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descripción
Sumario:Exceptionally preserved stromatolites have been found in the shallow marine carbonate facies of the Callovian-Oxfordian La Manga Formation,in the Neuquén Basin (Argentina). The stromatolites exhibit planar and crinkle lamination, often disrupted by sheet-cracks, mudcracks, and fenestral structures, which indicate periodic subaerial exposure. These and other evidences suggest that these stromatolites grew in low energy upper intertidal to lower supratidal environments. They consist of fine micrite/microsparite crystal fabrics (with a remarkable lack of allochems) that define submillimiter alternations of dense laminae. Extensive SEM examinations of polished samples of the stromatolites reveal exceptional preservation of rod-shaped bacteria, coccoid like microorganisms, and abundant aggregates of framboidal pyrite.The rod-like bacteria consists of a network of irregular distributed filaments, which range from 150 nm to an uncommon 640 nm in length; diameters range from 54 nm to 90 nm. Subspherical bodies range in size between 70 and 89 nm. The presence of abundant framboidal pyrites is interpreted as the result of the metabolic activity of sulfate?reducing bacteria and decay of organic matter.