On the experimental silicification of microorganisms. III. Implications of the preservation of the green prokaryotic alga prochloron and other coccoids for interpretation of the microbial fossil record     

Susan Francis  Elso S. Barghoorn  Lynn Margulis 《Precambrian Research》1978,7(4):377-383

Evidence for Precambrian fossil eukaryotic microorganisms has been based on: (1) the presence of internal ‘spots’ which have been variously interpreted to be remains of nuclei or pyrenoids of photosynthetic plastids or other organelles; (2) tetrahedral tetrad arrangement of cells; (3) trilete scars interpreted to be indicative of meiotic division: (4) large cell diameters; and (5) putative mitotic cell divisions. These features have been reported in fossils preserved in Precambrian cherts. We have studied modern microbial mats, thought to be analogues of Precambrian fossil communities, and found they may be silicified by laboratory procedures. In microbial mats from Baja California we have found many ‘spot cells’ that we could identify as remains of cyanophytes. We have silicified the newly discovered large prokaryotic coccoid green alga Prochloron and have found that it, like many cyanophytes previously silicified, preserves its structure and maintains its initial dimensions. In laboratory-silicified prokaryotic organisms we have found that all of the above criteria, supposedly characteristic of eukaryotes, can be observed. We conclude that there is no compelling morphological evidence for fossil eukaryotic microbes from Precambrian cherts.  相似文献   

Gaseous Jets in Comet Hale-Bopp (1995 O1)     

Lederer  Susan M.  Campins  Humberto  Osip  David J.  Schleicher  David G. 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》1997,78(1-3):131-136

We report the identification of gas jets in comet Hale-Bopp in OH, NH, CN, C₂ and C₃. This is the first time OH and NH jets without an obvious optical dust jet counterpart have been identified in narrowband comet images. We also confirm the existence of CN jets as reported by Larson et al. (1997) and Mueller et al. (1998). Jet features can be seen in the March and April 1997 datasets, approximately a month before and after perihelion. Our results contribute to the understanding of both the chemical properties of the comet as well as the physical mechanisms necessary to produce these features. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.  相似文献   

Ecological studies ofGracilaria asiatica andGracilaria lemaneiformis in Zhanshan Bay,Qingdao     

Susan H. Brawley  Fei Xiugeng 《中国海洋湖沼学报》1988,6(1):22-34

Natural populations ofG. asiatica Zhang & Xia andG. lemaneiformis (Bory) Weber van Bosse were studied during 1984 and 1986 in Zhanshan Bay, Qingdao (36°4'N, 120° 21'E). Rapid growth (length, weight) of these plants occurred between mid-May and late June (water temperatures, 15–20°C). The major epiphyte ofG. asiatica wasEnteromorpha linza, whilePunctaria latifolia was the major epiphyte ofG. lemaneiformis. Epiphytism declined throughout early summer, and epiphytes were rare after mid-July (1984); they did not reappear in late summer, although macrophyte growth declined abruptly after early July. Populations ofG. asiatica varied during late spring-early summer between adjacent sandy and rocky portions of the intertidal zone; plants at the sandy site were larger and epiphyte-free. Amphipod densities were low on both species ofGracilaria, but the most abundant species wereAmpithoe lacertosa, Caprella equilibra, C. krøyeri, C. scauraandPontogeneia rostrata. Additional information on general community structure is provided for theG. asiatica zone.  相似文献   

COUNTERURBANIZATION IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY*     

Thomas Kontuly  Susan Wiard  Roland Vogelsang 《The Professional geographer》1986,38(2):170-181

Since Berry argued in 1976 that counterurbanization had replaced urbanization in the U.S., a debate has ensued as to whether the phenomenon also exists in Western Europe. Proponents of a developmental theory of counterurbanization contend that the phenomenon should be evident in countries which have achieved a very high level of socioeconomic development, including the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). Most of the German and English language literature on the topic suggests the contrary for the FRG. Here urbanization and counterurbanization are restricted to specific geographic meanings, i.e., spatial agglomeration and deglomeration. Results from four interrelated tests show a trend toward counterurbanization evident as early as the 1960s in the post-war regional demographic data of the FRG.  相似文献   

SPATIAL PATTERNS OF SUPPORT FOR A NUCLEAR WEAPONS FREEZE*     

Susan L. Cutter  H. Briavel Holcomb  Dianne Shatin 《The Professional geographer》1986,38(1):42-52

Support for a Freeze on nuclear weapons is greatest in the East with pockets of support in the Middle West and Pacific Coast States. Factors influencing the spatial pattern are Walker's innovativeness rankings, the number of peace/Freeze activist groups and the pattern of defense employment.  相似文献   

Summary results from a pilot study conducted around an oil production platform on the Northwest Shelf of Australia   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

King SC  Johnson JE  Haasch ML  Ryan DA  Ahokas JT  Burns KA 《Marine pollution bulletin》2005,50(11):1163-1172

The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) conducted a pilot study around the Harriet A oil production platform on the Northwest Shelf of Australia. We evaluated hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, fluorescent aromatic compounds (FACs) in bile and immunodetection of CYP1A-like proteins in two Australian tropical fish species, Gold-Spotted Trevally (Carangoides fulvoguttatus) and Bar-Cheeked Coral Trout (Plectropomus maculatus) to assess exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons associated with produced formation water (PFW). Additionally, the incidence of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria isolated from the liver and bile of all fish captured was examined. Low EROD activity was found in both species, with EROD activity in C. fulvoguttatus showing significant site differences. FACs and CYP1A protein levels in C. fulvoguttatus showed a clear trend in hydrocarbon exposure consistent with hydrocarbon chemistry data: Harriet A>Harriet C>reference site. P. maculatus showed elevated levels of FACs at Harriet A as compared to the reference site and demonstrated detectable levels of CYP1A-like proteins at these two sites. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were found in the liver and bile of both species, yet there was no correlation by sites. Our results demonstrate that C. fulvoguttatus and P. maculatus have potential as indicator species for assessing the effects from exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons. Both FACs and CYP1A are providing warning signs that there is potential for biological effects on fish populations exposed to PFW around the Harriet A production platform.  相似文献   

From regolith to rock by shock     

Susan Werner Kieffer 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》1975,13(1-3):301-320

A model for shock-lithification of terrestrial and lunar regolith is proposed that accounts for: (1) observed petrographic properties and densities of shock-lithified material from missile impact craters at White Sands, New Mexico and from Meteor Crater, Arizona; (2) observed petrographic textures of lunar soil and lunar soil analogues experimentally shocked to known pressures in laboratory experiments; (3) theoretical calculations of the behavior of air and water under shock compression; and (4) measured Hugoniot and release adiabat data on dry and wet terrestrial soils and lunar regolith. In this model it is proposed that air or an air-water mixture initially in the pores of terrestrial soil affects the behavior of the soil-air-water system under shock-loading. Shock-lithified rocks found at Meteor Crater are classified as ‘strongly lithified’ and ‘weakly lithified’ on the basis of their strength in hand specimen; only weakly lithified rocks are found at the missile impact craters. These qualitative strength properties are related to the mechanisms of bonding in the rocks. The densities of weakly lithified samples are directly related to the pressures to which they were shock-loaded. A comparison of the petrographic textures and densities of weakly lithified samples with textures and densities of ‘regolith’ shock-loaded to known pressures suggests that weakly lithified terrestrial samples formed at pressures well under 100 kb, probably under 50 kb. If terrestrial soils are shock-loaded to pressures between 100 and 200 kb by impact events of short duration, the pore pressure due to hot air or air-water mixtures exceeds the strength of the weak lithification mechanisms and fragmentation, rather than lithification, occurs. At pressures above 200 kb, lithification can occur because the formation of glass provides a lithification mechanism which has sufficient strength to withstand the pore pressure. During shock-lithification of lunar regolith at pressures below 50 kb, the material is compressed to intrinsic crystal density and remains at approximately that density upon release from the shocked state. It is proposed, however, that at pressures in excess of 50 kb, the release of trapped volatiles from lunar soil grains into fractures causes an expansion of the regolith during unloading from the shocked state.  相似文献   

A numerical response of the middle atmosphere to the 11-year solar cycle     

Rolando R. Garcia  Susan Solomon  Raymond G. Roble  David W. Rusch 《Planetary and Space Science》1984,32(4):411-423

A two-dimensional numerical model with coupled photochemistry and dynamics has been used to investigate the response of the middle atmosphere (16–116 km) to changes in solar activity over the 11-year solar cycle. Model inputs that vary with solar cycle include solar radiation, cosmic ray and auroral ionization rates and the flux of NO_x at the model's upper boundary.In this study, the results of model runs for solar cycle minimum and maximum conditions are compared. In the stratosphere, using currently accepted estimates of changes in solar radiation at wavelengths longer than 180 nm, only small responses in ozone, temperature and zonal winds are obtained. On the other hand, changes at shorter wavelengths, and the effects of particle precipitation, lead to large variations in the abundances of trace species in the thermosphere and upper mesosphere. In particular, very large abundances of NO_x are produced above 90 km by auroral particle precipitation. Considerable amounts of NO_x are transported subsequently to the stratosphere by the global mean meridional circulation. It is shown that this excess NO_x can lead to significant decreases in ozone concentrations at high latitudes and that it may explain observations of nitrate deposition in Antarctic snow.  相似文献   

Effects of the closure of a major sewage outfall on sublittoral, soft sediment benthic communities     

Smith J  Shackley SE 《Marine pollution bulletin》2006,52(6):645-658

The present study examines the benthos within western inner Swansea Bay (Wales, UK), for the period before, during and immediately after the cessation of a major, sewage discharge from Mumbles Head. There have been significant improvements in seawater quality and changes in the species composition of the benthic communities following the cessation of the sewage discharge. There has been an increase in the diversity of deposit feeders, especially the amphipods, and a decrease in the diversity of the filter feeders, especially the polychaetes. Changes are not attributable either to sediment organic matter content or to gross changes in sediment type, but are related to the significant reduction in suspended particulate organic material and sewage contaminants discharged to the Bay. A recovery model has been proposed to describe how soft sediment benthic communities in a shallow, sublittoral, high tidal energy environment respond to the abrupt cessation of a major sewage discharge.  相似文献   

Total and methylmercury in three species of sea turtles of Baja California Sur     

Kampalath R  Gardner SC  Méndez-Rodríguez L  Jay JA 《Marine pollution bulletin》2006,52(12):1816-1823

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