Lichen preservation in amber: morphology, ultrastructure, chemofossils, and taphonomic alteration

2015 | journal article. A publication with affiliation to the University of Göttingen.

Jump to: Cite & Linked | Documents & Media | Details | Version history

Cite this publication

​Lichen preservation in amber: morphology, ultrastructure, chemofossils, and taphonomic alteration​
Hartl, C.; Schmidt, A. R.; Heinrichs, J.; Seyfullah, L. J.; Schaefer, N. ; Groehn, C. & Rikkinen, J. et al.​ (2015) 
FOSSIL RECORD18(2) pp. 127​-135​.​ DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/fr-18-127-2015 

Documents & Media

fr-18-127-2015.pdf3.69 MBAdobe PDF

License

Published Version

Attribution 3.0 CC BY 3.0

Details

Authors
Hartl, C.; Schmidt, A. R.; Heinrichs, Jochen; Seyfullah, Leyla J.; Schaefer, N. ; Groehn, Carsten; Rikkinen, Jouko; Kaasalainen, Ulla
Abstract
The fossil record of lichens is scarce and many putative fossil lichens do not show an actual physiological relationship between mycobionts and photobionts or a typical habit, and are therefore disputed. Amber has preserved a huge variety of organisms in microscopic fidelity, and so the study of amber fossils is promising for elucidating the fossil history of lichens. However, so far it has not been tested as to how amber inclusions of lichens are preserved regarding their internal characters, ultrastructure, and chemofossils. Here, we apply light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Raman spectroscopy to an amber-preserved Eocene lichen in order to gain information about the preservation of the fossil. The lichen thallus displays lifelike tissue preservation including the upper and lower cortex, medulla, photobiont layer, apothecia, and soredia. SEM analysis revealed globular photobiont cells in contact with the fungal hyphae, as well as impressions of possible former crystals of lichen compounds. EDX analysis permitted the differentiation between halite and pyrite crystals inside the lichen which were likely formed during the later diagenesis of the amber piece. Raman spectroscopy revealed the preservation of organic compounds and a difference between the composition of the cortex and the medulla of the fossil.
Issue Date
2015
Status
published
Publisher
Copernicus Gesellschaft Mbh
Journal
FOSSIL RECORD 
ISSN
2193-0074; 2193-0066
Sponsor
Open Access Publikationsfonds 2015
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Reference

Citations


Social Media