Abstract
Magnetotactic bacteria produce chains of nanoscopic iron minerals used for navigation, which can be preserved over geological timescales in the form of magnetofossils. Micrometer-sized magnetite crystals with unusual shapes suggesting a biologically controlled mineralization have been found in the geological record and termed giant magnetofossils. The biological origin and function of giant magnetofossils remains unclear, due to the lack of modern analogues to giant magnetofossils. Using distinctive Ptychographic nanotomography data of Precambrian (1.88 Ga) rocks, we recovered the morphology of micrometric cuboid grains of iron oxides embedded in an organic filamentous fossil to construct synthetic magnetosomes. Their morphology is different from that of previously found giant magnetofossils, but their occurrence in filamentous microfossils and micromagnetic simulations support the hypothesis that they could have functioned as a navigation aid, akin to modern magnetosomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e2319148121 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-10 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
| Volume | 121 |
| Issue number | 23 |
| Early online date | 28 May 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 4 Jun 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.
Funding
This study was funded by Grants 16/06114-6, 21/00861-2, 22/14100-6, and 2021/05083-8 of the S\u00E3o Paulo Research Foundation. The opinions, hypotheses, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAPESP. D.G. would like to thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Grant 310817/2020-0). W.W. would like to acknowledge support from the Natural Environmental Research Council through grants NE/V001233/1 and NE/S011978/1. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the two anonymous reviewers, Dr. Ramon Egli, and the Editors, whose constructive criticism has greatly contributed to the improvement of our paper. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. This study was funded by Grants 16/06114-6, 21/00861-2, 22/14100-6, and 2021/05083-8 of the S\u00E3o Paulo Research Foundation. The opinions, hypotheses, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAPESP. D.G. would like to thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Grant 310817/2020-0). W.W. would like to acknowledge support from the Natural Environmental Research Council through grants NE/V001233/1 and NE/S011978/1. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the two anonymous reviewers, Dr. Ramon Egli, and the Editors, whose constructive criticism has greatly contributed to the improvement of our paper.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo | |
| Natural Environment Research Council | NE/S011978/1, NE/V001233/1 |
| Natural Environment Research Council | |
| Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico | 310817/2020-0 |
| Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico |
Keywords
- giant magnetofossils
- magnetotaxis
- micromagnetic modeling
- primordial