Publication detail

Microbial degradation of Pleistocene permafrost-sealed fossil mammal remains

CALÁBKOVÁ G. CHLACHULA J. IVANOV M. HLOŽKOVÁ M. CZERNIAWSKA J. VASINOVA GALIOVA M. PROKEŠ L. GADAS. P

Original Title

Microbial degradation of Pleistocene permafrost-sealed fossil mammal remains

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Paleontological remains retrieved from permafrost represent the most informative records of Pleistocene ecosystems. Different levels of past microbial activity affecting fossil material preservation are presented for two selected bone samples-an almost intact Bison sp. metacarpus (45.0 +/- 5.0 C-14 ka BP) and a weathered Equus sp. metacarpus (37.8 +/- 1.7 C-14 ka BP) from the recently exposed cryogenic geo-contexts in the Yana River basin, NE Yakutia. Diagenetic changes in bone porosity and chemical composition as a result of the past microbial activity were investigated by multiple analytical methods. In the bison bone, which was permafrost-sealed shortly after death of the animal and conserved for ca. 45 ka in a frozen state in a cryolithic formation, only superficial microbial degradation processes were detected. Progressive microbial attacks characterize the horse bone, which was exposed to MIS 3 sub-aerial biogenic decay and modern surficial weathering. This is evidenced by extensive bacterial micro-boring with the typical focal destructions, an increase in microbial porosity, and de-mineralized osseous zones due to waterlogged and poorly oxygenated past depositional conditions. New information contributes to better understanding of the diagenesis particularities and the associated chemical and biological agents of the fossil osteological assemblages with respect to their taphonomic and paleoenvironmental implications.

Keywords

Pleistocene; Yakutia; Yana Basin; Batagay thermokarst sinkhole; Permafrost; Fossil osteological material; Diagenesis; MIS 3 environment; Fauna remains preservation

Authors

CALÁBKOVÁ G.; CHLACHULA J.; IVANOV M.; HLOŽKOVÁ M.; CZERNIAWSKA J.; VASINOVA GALIOVA M.; PROKEŠ L.; GADAS. P

Released

23. 8. 2022

Publisher

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Location

NEW YORK

ISBN

0033-5894

Periodical

QUATERNARY RESEARCH

Year of study

111

Number

PII S00335894220

State

United States of America

Pages from

84

Pages to

106

Pages count

23

URL

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/quaternary-research/article/microbial-degradation-of-pleistocene-permafrostsealed-fossil-mammal-remains/36BFA00736486E77C4E4CECC58572ACE

BibTex

@article{BUT182179,
  author="CALÁBKOVÁ G. and CHLACHULA J. and IVANOV M. and HLOŽKOVÁ M. and CZERNIAWSKA J. and VASINOVA GALIOVA M. and PROKEŠ L. and GADAS. P",
  title="Microbial degradation of Pleistocene permafrost-sealed fossil mammal remains",
  journal="QUATERNARY RESEARCH",
  year="2022",
  volume="111",
  number="PII S00335894220",
  pages="84--106",
  doi="10.1017/qua.2022.28",
  issn="0033-5894",
  url="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/quaternary-research/article/microbial-degradation-of-pleistocene-permafrostsealed-fossil-mammal-remains/36BFA00736486E77C4E4CECC58572ACE"
}