Open Access
Biomineralization: Integrating mechanism and evolutionary history
Author(s) -
Benjamin Gilbert,
Kristin Bergmann,
Nicholas Boekelheide,
Sylvie Tambutté,
Tali Mass,
Frédéric Marin,
Jess F. Adkins,
Jonathan Erez,
Benjamin Gilbert,
Vanessa L. Knutson,
Marjorie Cantine,
Javier OrtegaHernández,
Andrew H. Knoll
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
science advances
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.928
H-Index - 146
ISSN - 2375-2548
DOI - 10.1126/sciadv.abl9653
Subject(s) - biomineralization , phylum , ocean acidification , extinction event , mechanism (biology) , ecology , macroevolution , global change , fossil record , geologic record , environmental change , evolutionary biology , carbon cycle , biology , paleontology , climate change , phylogenetics , ecosystem , biological dispersal , population , philosophy , demography , biochemistry , epistemology , sociology , bacteria , gene
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) biomineralizing organisms have played major roles in the history of life and the global carbon cycle during the past 541 Ma. Both marine diversification and mass extinctions reflect physiological responses to environmental changes through time. An integrated understanding of carbonate biomineralization is necessary to illuminate this evolutionary record and to understand how modern organisms will respond to 21st century global change. Biomineralization evolved independently but convergently across phyla, suggesting a unity of mechanism that transcends biological differences. In this review, we combine CaCO3 skeleton formation mechanisms with constraints from evolutionary history, omics, and a meta-analysis of isotopic data to develop a plausible model for CaCO3 biomineralization applicable to all phyla. The model provides a framework for understanding the environmental sensitivity of marine calcifiers, past mass extinctions, and resilience in 21st century acidifying oceans. Thus, it frames questions about the past, present, and future of CaCO3 biomineralizing organisms.