Discovery of giant and conventional magnetofossils bookending Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event 2

Courtney L. Wagner; Ioan Lascu; Jean Self-Trail; Tim Gooding; Kenneth J.T. Livi; Gianna Greger; Kristina Frank Gardner; Jody Brae Wycech; Mark F. Dreier; Tom Oliver

doi:10.1038/s43247-024-01540-2

Discovery of giant and conventional magnetofossils bookending Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event 2

Communications Earth & Environment

By: Courtney L. Wagner, Ioan Lascu, Jean Self-Trail, Tim Gooding, Kenneth J.T. Livi, Gianna Greger, Kristina Frank Gardner, Jody Brae Wycech, Mark F. Dreier, and Tom Oliver

https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01540-2

Links

More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
Open Access Version: Publisher Index Page
Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core

Abstract

Conventional magnetofossils are the remains of magnetotactic bacteria and giant magnetofossils are the remains of iron biomineralizing organisms that have not yet been identified. We report the oldest robust conventional and giant magnetofossil records, ~97 Ma, from marine sediments drilled in Holland Park, Virginia, USA. The Holland Park core records the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary and Oceanic-Anoxic Event 2 (OAE2). Magnetic datasets indicate single domain magnetite within the clay-rich sediments bookending OAE2. Electron microscopy images from these intervals highlight conventional and giant magnetofossil morphologies, including three potentially new giant magnetofossil morphologies: seeds, squash, and spades. There is an overall high abundance and morphological disparity of magnetofossils at Holland Park. However, we observe abundance, disparity, and preservation changes between the magnetofossil assemblages bookending OAE2. Our observations provide clues toward understanding the ecological thresholds of the enigmatic organisms that produce giant magnetofossils and evidence that magnetofossils may be widely distributed in the geologic record.

Study Area

Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Discovery of giant and conventional magnetofossils bookending Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event 2
Series title	Communications Earth & Environment
DOI	10.1038/s43247-024-01540-2
Volume	5
Year Published	2024
Language	English
Publisher	Nature
Contributing office(s)	Central Energy Resources Science Center, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
Description	386, 11 p.
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Other Geospatial	Holland Park
Google Analytic Metrics	Metrics page