Understanding the Diversity and Biology of Microbes in Late Paleozoic Ecosystems

微生物，包括细菌、蓝细菌、微藻和各种真菌和真菌样生物（例如，Peronsporomycetes）是当今所有群落的重要组成部分。这些生物在过去当然也发挥着类似的功能，并在从分解到营养循环的活动中对古代生态系统的进化和可持续性负责。然而，不幸的是，人们对各个微生物群体在地质历史中的精确功能知之甚少。在本研究计划中，将对早泥盆世至晚石炭世硅质岩中三维保存的各种微生物进行研究。泥盆纪和石炭纪是地质时代的重要时期，其中所有主要的维管陆生植物谱系（被子植物除外）及其身体平面的基本建筑原则（例如，根、茎轴、叶）进化。由于这种增加的植物多样性，生态上不同的（微）栖息地的数量急剧增加，这反过来又导致了新的和特定的植物-微生物相互作用的进化（例如，叶内生）。由于微生物和它们的宿主都保存在燧石中，这些协会提供了一个非凡的机会来记录地质时期重要部分的微生物多样性，并研究一些在古代陆地生态系统功能中至关重要的复杂相互作用。 这些相互作用包括寄生、寄生和不同程度的互惠关系。为了实现这一研究议程的目标，一个国际团队聚集在一起，拥有化石和现存微生物的专业知识。该项目将包括四个相互关联的主题：1）记录整体微生物多样性，2）通过地质时期的片段，其中有众所周知的宿主植物，3）根据孢子壁特征与现存的肾小球真菌（glomeromycoytan fungi）描述某些类型的互利（菌根）真菌，4）记录微生物的相互作用的基础上主机的反应。 利用结构保存的生物体是直接研究各种微生物与其化石宿主之间存在的复杂相互作用的唯一方法。记录这些微生物，它们的协会，以及与其他生物的相互作用，将有可能跟踪共同进化的趋势，可以与现代方法一起使用，以调查某些类型的生物和生态过程的进化历史，维持和驱动陆地生态系统。

Microorganisms, including bacteria, cyanobacteria, microalgae, and various fungi and fungal-like organisms (e.g., Peronsporomycetes), are critical components of all communities today. These organisms certainly performed similar functions in the past, and were responsible for the evolution and sustainability of ancient ecosystems in activities ranging from decomposition to nutrient cycling. Unfortunately, however, relatively little is known about how precisely the individual groups of microorganisms functioned in the geologic past. In this research program, various microorganisms that are three-dimensionally preserved in Early Devonian to Late Carboniferous cherts will be investigated. The Devonian and Carboniferous are important periods of geologic time in which all major lineages of vascular land plants (except angiosperms) and the fundamental architectural principles of their body plan (e.g., roots, shoot axis, leaves) evolved. As a result of this increased plant diversity, the number of ecologically distinct (micro-) habitats increased drastically, which, in turn, has resulted in the evolution of new and specific plant-microbe interactions (e.g., leaf endophytism). Because both microbes and their hosts are preserved in chert, these associations provide an extraordinary opportunity to document the diversity of microbes through an important segment of geologic time, and also to study a number of complex interactions that were critical in the functioning of the ancient terrestrial ecosystems. Some of these interactions include parasitism, saprophytism, and various degrees of mutualistic association. To accomplish the goals of this research agenda an international team was assembled that has expertise with both fossil and extant microbes. The project will encompass four interrelated themes: 1) documenting overall microbe diversity, 2) examining diversity through segments of geologic time in which there are well known host plants, 3) characterizing certain types of mutualistic (mycorrhizal) fungi based on spore wall features used with extant glomeromycoytan fungi, 4) documenting microbe interactions based on host responses. The utilization of structurally preserved organisms is the only method available to directly investigate complex interactions that existed between various microbes and their fossil hosts. Documenting these microorganisms, their associations, and interactions with other organisms will make it possible to trace co-evolutionary trends that can be used together with modern approaches to investigate the evolutionary history of certain types of biological and ecological processes that sustain and drive terrestrial ecosystems.