Metagenomic analyses of the late Pleistocene permafrost – additional tools for reconstruction of environmental conditions
A comparative analysis of the metagenomes from two 30 000-year-old permafrost samples, one of lake-alluvial origin and the other from late Pleistocene Ice Complex sediments, revealed significant differences within microbial communities. The late Pleistocene Ice Complex sediments (which have been cha...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-04-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.biogeosciences.net/13/2207/2016/bg-13-2207-2016.pdf |
| Summary: | A comparative analysis of the metagenomes from two 30 000-year-old
permafrost samples, one of lake-alluvial origin and the other from late
Pleistocene Ice Complex sediments, revealed significant differences within
microbial communities. The late Pleistocene Ice Complex sediments (which
have been characterized by the absence of methane with lower values of
redox potential and Fe<sup>2+</sup> content) showed a low abundance of
methanogenic archaea and enzymes from both the carbon and nitrogen cycles,
but a higher abundance of enzymes associated with the sulfur cycle. The
metagenomic and geochemical analyses described in the paper provide evidence
that the formation of the sampled late Pleistocene Ice Complex sediments
likely took place under much more aerobic conditions than lake-alluvial
sediments. |
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| ISSN: | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |