Fossil carotenoids and paleolimnology of meromictic Mahoney Lake,British Columbia,Canada |
| |
| Authors: | Jörg Overmann Gerhard Sandmann Ken J Hall Tom G Northcote |
| |
| Institution: | (1) Fakultät für Biologie, Universität Konstanz, Postfach 5560, D-7750 Konstanz, Germany;(2) Westwater Research Center, University of British Columbia, V6T 1W5 Vancouver, B.C., Canada;(3) Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, V6T 2A9 Vancouver, B.C., Canada;(4) Present address: Department of Microbiology, University of British Columbia, # 300–6174 University Boulevard, V6T 1Z3 Vancouver, B.C., Canada |
| |
| Abstract: | Vertical distribution of fossil carotenoids in a sediment core from meromictic Mahoney Lake was studied. Besides okenone and demethylated okenone, lutein and zeaxanthin and -carotene isomers were identified. No carotenoids typical for purple nonsulfur or green sulfur bacteria were detected. The ratio of zeaxanthin to lutein (above 1:1 in all samples) indicates a dominance of cyanobacteria over green algae in the phytoplankton assemblages of the past. Okenone, which is found exclusively in Chromatiaceae, was the dominating carotenoid in all sediment zones.The oldest sediment layers containing okenone were deposited 11 000 years ago. Between 9000 and 7000 and since 3000 years b.p., Chromatiaceae reached a considerable biomass in the lake. Vertical changes in okenone concentration were not related to changes of paleotemperatures. In contrast, okenone concentrations decreased during periods of volcanic ash input. During most of the lake history, however, mean okenone concentrations were positively correlated with sedimentation rates. This indicates that vertical changes of okenone concentration in the sediment reflect past changes of purple sulfur bacterial biomass in the lake.According to these results, the past limnology of Mahoney Lake resembled that of the present with a sulfide-containing monimolimnion and a well-developed population of okenone-bearing purple sulfur bacteria. |
| |
| Keywords: | Paleolimnology fossil pigments carotenoids okenone photosynthetic bacteria meromixis |
| 本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录！ |
|
