Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in Archaeocyatha
Sponge-grade Archaeocyatha were early Cambrian biomineralizing metazoans that constructed reefs globally. Despite decades of research, many facets of archaeocyath palaeobiology remain unclear, making it difficult to reconstruct the palaeoecology of Cambrian reef ecosystems. Of specific interest is h...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Royal Society
2023-11-01
|
| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230766 |
| _version_ | 1827386586350747648 |
|---|---|
| author | Brandt M. Gibson Max Chipman Paolo Attanasio Zaid Qureshi Simon A. F. Darroch Imran A. Rahman Marc Laflamme |
| author_facet | Brandt M. Gibson Max Chipman Paolo Attanasio Zaid Qureshi Simon A. F. Darroch Imran A. Rahman Marc Laflamme |
| author_sort | Brandt M. Gibson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sponge-grade Archaeocyatha were early Cambrian biomineralizing metazoans that constructed reefs globally. Despite decades of research, many facets of archaeocyath palaeobiology remain unclear, making it difficult to reconstruct the palaeoecology of Cambrian reef ecosystems. Of specific interest is how these organisms fed; previous experimental studies have suggested that archaeocyaths functioned as passive suspension feeders relying on ambient currents to transport nutrient-rich water into their central cavities. Here, we test this hypothesis using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of digital models of select archaeocyath species. Our results demonstrate that, given a range of plausible current velocities, there was very little fluid circulation through the skeleton, suggesting obligate passive suspension feeding was unlikely. Comparing our simulation data with exhalent velocities collected from extant sponges, we infer an active suspension feeding lifestyle for archaeocyaths. The combination of active suspension feeding and biomineralization in Archaeocyatha may have facilitated the creation of modern metazoan reef ecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:47:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-36d77778f6a3422e9bda4941f826a612 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:47:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-36d77778f6a3422e9bda4941f826a6122024-01-09T09:26:53ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032023-11-01101110.1098/rsos.230766Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in ArchaeocyathaBrandt M. Gibson0Max Chipman1Paolo Attanasio2Zaid Qureshi3Simon A. F. Darroch4Imran A. Rahman5Marc Laflamme6Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USAThe Natural History Museum, London, UKDepartment of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, CanadaSponge-grade Archaeocyatha were early Cambrian biomineralizing metazoans that constructed reefs globally. Despite decades of research, many facets of archaeocyath palaeobiology remain unclear, making it difficult to reconstruct the palaeoecology of Cambrian reef ecosystems. Of specific interest is how these organisms fed; previous experimental studies have suggested that archaeocyaths functioned as passive suspension feeders relying on ambient currents to transport nutrient-rich water into their central cavities. Here, we test this hypothesis using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of digital models of select archaeocyath species. Our results demonstrate that, given a range of plausible current velocities, there was very little fluid circulation through the skeleton, suggesting obligate passive suspension feeding was unlikely. Comparing our simulation data with exhalent velocities collected from extant sponges, we infer an active suspension feeding lifestyle for archaeocyaths. The combination of active suspension feeding and biomineralization in Archaeocyatha may have facilitated the creation of modern metazoan reef ecosystems.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230766ArchaeocyathaCambriancomputational fluid dynamicsreefssuspension feeding |
| spellingShingle | Brandt M. Gibson Max Chipman Paolo Attanasio Zaid Qureshi Simon A. F. Darroch Imran A. Rahman Marc Laflamme Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in Archaeocyatha Royal Society Open Science Archaeocyatha Cambrian computational fluid dynamics reefs suspension feeding |
| title | Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in Archaeocyatha |
| title_full | Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in Archaeocyatha |
| title_fullStr | Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in Archaeocyatha |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in Archaeocyatha |
| title_short | Reconstructing the feeding ecology of Cambrian sponge reefs: the case for active suspension feeding in Archaeocyatha |
| title_sort | reconstructing the feeding ecology of cambrian sponge reefs the case for active suspension feeding in archaeocyatha |
| topic | Archaeocyatha Cambrian computational fluid dynamics reefs suspension feeding |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230766 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brandtmgibson reconstructingthefeedingecologyofcambrianspongereefsthecaseforactivesuspensionfeedinginarchaeocyatha AT maxchipman reconstructingthefeedingecologyofcambrianspongereefsthecaseforactivesuspensionfeedinginarchaeocyatha AT paoloattanasio reconstructingthefeedingecologyofcambrianspongereefsthecaseforactivesuspensionfeedinginarchaeocyatha AT zaidqureshi reconstructingthefeedingecologyofcambrianspongereefsthecaseforactivesuspensionfeedinginarchaeocyatha AT simonafdarroch reconstructingthefeedingecologyofcambrianspongereefsthecaseforactivesuspensionfeedinginarchaeocyatha AT imranarahman reconstructingthefeedingecologyofcambrianspongereefsthecaseforactivesuspensionfeedinginarchaeocyatha AT marclaflamme reconstructingthefeedingecologyofcambrianspongereefsthecaseforactivesuspensionfeedinginarchaeocyatha |