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Molecular indicators of microbial diversity in oolitic sands of H ighborne C ay, B ahamas
Author(s) -
Edgcomb V. P.,
Bernhard J. M.,
Beaudoin D.,
Pruss S.,
Welander P. V.,
Schubotz F.,
Mehay S.,
Gillespie A. L.,
Summons R. E.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.859
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1472-4669
pISSN - 1472-4677
DOI - 10.1111/gbi.12029
Subject(s) - microbial mat , stromatolite , gammaproteobacteria , alphaproteobacteria , deltaproteobacteria , biology , ooid , 16s ribosomal rna , carbonate , prokaryote , ribosomal rna , cyanobacteria , botany , paleontology , bacteria , chemistry , biochemistry , sedimentary depositional environment , organic chemistry , structural basin , gene
Abstract Microbialites (stromatolites and thrombolites) are mineralized mat structures formed via the complex interactions of diverse microbial‐mat communities. At H ighborne C ay, in the B ahamas, the carbonate component of these features is mostly comprised of ooids. These are small, spherical to ellipsoidal grains characterized by concentric layers of calcium carbonate and organic matter and these sand‐sized particles are incorporated with the aid of extra‐cellular polymeric substances ( EPS ), into the matrix of laminated stromatolites and clotted thrombolite mats. Here, we present a comparison of the bacterial diversity within oolitic sand samples and bacterial diversity previously reported in thrombolitic and stromatolitic mats of H ighborne C ay based on analysis of clone libraries of small subunit ribosomal RNA gene fragments and lipid biomarkers. The 16 S ‐r RNA data indicate that the overall bacterial diversity within ooids is comparable to that found within thrombolites and stromatolites of H ighborne C ay, and this significant overlap in taxonomic groups suggests that ooid sands may be a source for much of the bacterial diversity found in the local microbialites. Cyanobacteria were the most diverse taxonomic group detected, followed by A lphaproteobacteria, G ammaproteobacteria, P lanctomyces, D eltaproteobacteria, and several other groups also found in mat structures. The distributions of intact polar lipids, the fatty acids derived from them, and bacteriohopanepolyols provide broad general support for the bacterial diversity identified through analysis of nucleic acid clone libraries.