Marine microfossils: Tiny archives of ocean changes through deep time

Jasenka Sremac; Marija Bošnjak; Karmen Fio Firi; Ana Šimičević; Šimun Aščić; Jasenka Sremac; Marija Bošnjak; Karmen Fio Firi; Ana Šimičević; Šimun Aščić

doi:10.3934/microbiol.2024030

AIMS Microbiology

2024, Volume 10, Issue 3: 644-673. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2024030

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Review

Marine microfossils: Tiny archives of ocean changes through deep time

1.
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Geology, Horvatovac 102B, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
2.
Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
3.
Franka Lisice 4, 23000 Zadar, Croatia

Received: 05 April 2024 Revised: 08 July 2024 Accepted: 25 July 2024 Published: 08 August 2024

Microorganisms have inhabited the oceans since the dawn of Earth. Some of them have organic walls and some produce mineral tests that are usually composed of carbonate minerals or silica. They can therefore be preserved with original parts during sedimentary deposition or fossilized through permineralization or carbonization processes. The most common marine fossil groups studied by micropaleontologists are cyanobacteria, coccolithophores, dinoflagellates, diatoms, silicoflagellates, radiolarians, foraminifers, red and green algae, ostracods, and pteropods. Dormant or reproductive cysts can also be used for determinations of the fossil microbiota. Microfossils can be studied in petrographic slides prepared from rocks or separated from loosely consolidated rocks by disaggregation or dissolution and wet sieving. Their presence is sometimes recognized by biomarkers. Transmitted light microscopy and reflected light stereomicroscopy are necessary for micropaleontological studies whereas scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) aids research on the tiniest fossils and reveals fine skeletal details. Microorganisms have influenced the oxygenation of water and the atmosphere, as well as Earth's carbon cycle and have contributed to the formation of sedimentary rocks. By studying microfossils, paleontologists depict the age of the rock and identify depositional environments. Such studies help us recognize periods of stress in Earth's history and understand their influence on living organisms. Biogenic rocks, made of microfossils, can be used as raw materials, such as fossil fuels, building stone, or additives for the food industry, agricultural, or cosmetic purposes.
- microbiota,
- fossilization,
- biostratigraphy,
- paleoenvironment,
- raw materials
Citation: Jasenka Sremac, Marija Bošnjak, Karmen Fio Firi, Ana Šimičević, Šimun Aščić. Marine microfossils: Tiny archives of ocean changes through deep time[J]. AIMS Microbiology, 2024, 10(3): 644-673. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2024030

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Abstract

Microorganisms have inhabited the oceans since the dawn of Earth. Some of them have organic walls and some produce mineral tests that are usually composed of carbonate minerals or silica. They can therefore be preserved with original parts during sedimentary deposition or fossilized through permineralization or carbonization processes. The most common marine fossil groups studied by micropaleontologists are cyanobacteria, coccolithophores, dinoflagellates, diatoms, silicoflagellates, radiolarians, foraminifers, red and green algae, ostracods, and pteropods. Dormant or reproductive cysts can also be used for determinations of the fossil microbiota. Microfossils can be studied in petrographic slides prepared from rocks or separated from loosely consolidated rocks by disaggregation or dissolution and wet sieving. Their presence is sometimes recognized by biomarkers. Transmitted light microscopy and reflected light stereomicroscopy are necessary for micropaleontological studies whereas scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) aids research on the tiniest fossils and reveals fine skeletal details. Microorganisms have influenced the oxygenation of water and the atmosphere, as well as Earth's carbon cycle and have contributed to the formation of sedimentary rocks. By studying microfossils, paleontologists depict the age of the rock and identify depositional environments. Such studies help us recognize periods of stress in Earth's history and understand their influence on living organisms. Biogenic rocks, made of microfossils, can be used as raw materials, such as fossil fuels, building stone, or additives for the food industry, agricultural, or cosmetic purposes.

Acknowledgments

Results of our research were partly obtained through the Croatian Science Foundation Project “Sedimentary paleobasins, water corridors and biota migrations” (IP-2019-04-7042), led by Marijan Kovačić (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science).
We are grateful to Kristina Pikelj (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science) for providing diatom and silicoflagellate remains, and Duje Kukoč (Croatian Geological Survey) for radiolarian images.
Authors would like to thank the reviewers and editors for their constructive and helpful comments, which have significantly improved the quality of this paper.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author contributions

Conceptualization, J.S., M.B.; methodology, K.F.F., M.B., Š.A., A.Š.; validation, J.S. and M.B.; resources, J.S., M.B., K.F.F., A.Š, Š.A.; writing—original draft preparation, J.S., M.B., K.F.F.; writing review and editing, J.S., K.F.F., M.B.; visualization, J.S., M.B., K.F.F., A.Š, Š.A.; supervision, J.S., K.F.F. and M.B.
All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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