Biosilicification Drives a Decline of Dissolved Si in the Oceans through Geologic Time
Biosilicification has driven variation in the global Si cycle over geologic time. The evolution of different eukaryotic lineages that convert dissolved Si (DSi) into mineralized structures (higher plants, siliceous sponges, radiolarians, and diatoms) has driven a secular decrease in DSi in the globa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2017-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2017.00397/full |
| _version_ | 1811220069907169280 |
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| author | Daniel J. Conley Daniel J. Conley Patrick J. Frings Patrick J. Frings Guillaume Fontorbe Wim Clymans Wim Clymans Johanna Stadmark Katharine R. Hendry Alan O. Marron Christina L. De La Rocha |
| author_facet | Daniel J. Conley Daniel J. Conley Patrick J. Frings Patrick J. Frings Guillaume Fontorbe Wim Clymans Wim Clymans Johanna Stadmark Katharine R. Hendry Alan O. Marron Christina L. De La Rocha |
| author_sort | Daniel J. Conley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Biosilicification has driven variation in the global Si cycle over geologic time. The evolution of different eukaryotic lineages that convert dissolved Si (DSi) into mineralized structures (higher plants, siliceous sponges, radiolarians, and diatoms) has driven a secular decrease in DSi in the global ocean leading to the low DSi concentrations seen today. Recent studies, however, have questioned the timing previously proposed for the DSi decreases and the concentration changes through deep time, which would have major implications for the cycling of carbon and other key nutrients in the ocean. Here, we combine relevant genomic data with geological data and present new hypotheses regarding the impact of the evolution of biosilicifying organisms on the DSi inventory of the oceans throughout deep time. Although there is no fossil evidence for true silica biomineralization until the late Precambrian, the timing of the evolution of silica transporter genes suggests that bacterial silicon-related metabolism has been present in the oceans since the Archean with eukaryotic silicon metabolism already occurring in the Neoproterozoic. We hypothesize that biological processes have influenced oceanic DSi concentrations since the beginning of oxygenic photosynthesis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:35:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40a30a7476174ee48a068e5302cab0b8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:35:36Z |
| publishDate | 2017-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-40a30a7476174ee48a068e5302cab0b82022-12-22T03:41:56ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452017-12-01410.3389/fmars.2017.00397273520Biosilicification Drives a Decline of Dissolved Si in the Oceans through Geologic TimeDaniel J. Conley0Daniel J. Conley1Patrick J. Frings2Patrick J. Frings3Guillaume Fontorbe4Wim Clymans5Wim Clymans6Johanna Stadmark7Katharine R. Hendry8Alan O. Marron9Christina L. De La Rocha10Department of Geology, Lund University, Lund, SwedenStellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, Stellenbosch, South AfricaDepartment of Geology, Lund University, Lund, SwedenDepartment of Geoscience, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Geology, Lund University, Lund, SwedenDepartment of Geology, Lund University, Lund, SwedenEarthwatch Institute, Oxford, United KingdomDepartment of Geology, Lund University, Lund, SwedenSchool of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United KingdomDepartment of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United KingdomDepartment of Geology, Lund University, Lund, SwedenBiosilicification has driven variation in the global Si cycle over geologic time. The evolution of different eukaryotic lineages that convert dissolved Si (DSi) into mineralized structures (higher plants, siliceous sponges, radiolarians, and diatoms) has driven a secular decrease in DSi in the global ocean leading to the low DSi concentrations seen today. Recent studies, however, have questioned the timing previously proposed for the DSi decreases and the concentration changes through deep time, which would have major implications for the cycling of carbon and other key nutrients in the ocean. Here, we combine relevant genomic data with geological data and present new hypotheses regarding the impact of the evolution of biosilicifying organisms on the DSi inventory of the oceans throughout deep time. Although there is no fossil evidence for true silica biomineralization until the late Precambrian, the timing of the evolution of silica transporter genes suggests that bacterial silicon-related metabolism has been present in the oceans since the Archean with eukaryotic silicon metabolism already occurring in the Neoproterozoic. We hypothesize that biological processes have influenced oceanic DSi concentrations since the beginning of oxygenic photosynthesis.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2017.00397/fullsilicatesdiatomsspongescyanobacteriabiogeochemical cycles |
| spellingShingle | Daniel J. Conley Daniel J. Conley Patrick J. Frings Patrick J. Frings Guillaume Fontorbe Wim Clymans Wim Clymans Johanna Stadmark Katharine R. Hendry Alan O. Marron Christina L. De La Rocha Biosilicification Drives a Decline of Dissolved Si in the Oceans through Geologic Time Frontiers in Marine Science silicates diatoms sponges cyanobacteria biogeochemical cycles |
| title | Biosilicification Drives a Decline of Dissolved Si in the Oceans through Geologic Time |
| title_full | Biosilicification Drives a Decline of Dissolved Si in the Oceans through Geologic Time |
| title_fullStr | Biosilicification Drives a Decline of Dissolved Si in the Oceans through Geologic Time |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biosilicification Drives a Decline of Dissolved Si in the Oceans through Geologic Time |
| title_short | Biosilicification Drives a Decline of Dissolved Si in the Oceans through Geologic Time |
| title_sort | biosilicification drives a decline of dissolved si in the oceans through geologic time |
| topic | silicates diatoms sponges cyanobacteria biogeochemical cycles |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2017.00397/full |
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