DOI

East Africa is one of the most important paleoanthropological localities on Earth. Laetoli and Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) are among the world’s premier areas for Australopithecus afarensis, Paranthropus boisei, and Homo habilis remains. Laetoli is also unique in its preservation of footprint trails within Tuff 7 left by Australopithecus afarensis. Tuff 7 has been studied to characterize microorganisms living inside these tuffs and to estimate their potential involvement in destructive processes; 35 species of microfungi, as well as sterile white and dark mycelia were identified by cultural method. The results of the metagenomic analysis show that anamorphic ascomycetes are the predominant group in all samples. They occur as hyphae and mycelia inside the tuffs, and are concentrated in pores, microcracks and cavities. The number of micromycetes is moderate (up to 7000 CFU per gram of substrate). Typical cultivated microfungi are from genera Aspergillus and Fusarium. They are known as active destructors of natural and artificial substrates and can colonize building materials. Molecular genetic methods revealed a large group of different bacteria (23 phyla) within the tuff. The microbiota consists mostly of Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria. Their relative distribution shows the preferential occurrence of Bacteroidetes in the upper part of stratigraphic sections (soil), and concentration of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria within the tuffs. Exposure of the Footprint tuff could lead to the development of photosynthetic microorganisms (Cyanobacteria). We conclude that microbiological activity within the study area appears to be moderate and the Footprint Tuff does not presently require any treatment with biocides. However, the presence of black biofilms on the surface of the Footprint conservation mound concrete shows that biodestruction does occur.

Язык оригиналаанглийский
Название основной публикацииProcesses and Phenomena on the Boundary Between Biogenic and Abiogenic Nature
Подзаголовок основной публикацииConference proceedings
РедакторыOlga V. Frank-Kamenetskaya, Dmitry Yu. Vlasov, Elena G. Panova, Sofia N. Lessovaia
Место публикацииCham
ИздательSpringer Nature
Страницы669-692
Число страниц24
ISBN (электронное издание)9783030216146
ISBN (печатное издание)9783030216139
DOI
СостояниеОпубликовано - 2020
СобытиеVI International Symposium "Biogenic-abiogenic interactions in natural and anthropogenic systems", devoted to the 150th anniversary of the Saint-Petersburg Naturalists Society - СПбГУ, Saint-Petersburg, Российская Федерация
Продолжительность: 24 сен 201827 сен 2018
Номер конференции: VI

Серия публикаций

НазваниеLecture Notes in Earth System Sciences
ИздательSPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG
ISSN (печатное издание)2193-8571

конференция

конференцияVI International Symposium "Biogenic-abiogenic interactions in natural and anthropogenic systems", devoted to the 150th anniversary of the Saint-Petersburg Naturalists Society
Страна/TерриторияРоссийская Федерация
ГородSaint-Petersburg
Период24/09/1827/09/18

    Предметные области Scopus

  • Компьютерные технологии в науках о земле
  • Планетоведение и науки о земле (все)

ID: 46375995