One of the clutch of science publications which casually and unintentionally refute creationism to be published today, comes in the form of a paper by a team from the University of Tokyo, Tohoku University and Kochi University, Japan, which describes a new method for analysing ancient microfossils, and so discovering more about how key processes evolved in early cellular life.
The purpose of this is to discover not whether (that is never in doubt) but the precise details of how and when these key processes evolved.
Tell me all about 'gunflint microfossils' and explain the significance of being able to analyse elements such as phosphorus and molybdenum in the context of their evolution, please. Gunflint Microfossils refer to microscopic fossilized organisms found in the Gunflint Iron Formation, a rock deposit located in Ontario, Canada, dating back to around 1.88 billion years ago, during the Precambrian era. These microfossils, preserved in chert (a fine-grained silica-rich rock), are some of the earliest direct evidence of life on Earth, particularly microbial life.The team, led by Akizumi Ishida from Tohoku University, concentrated their research on 'Gunflint' fossils found in chert and dating back to about 1.88 billion years ago. Their aim was to improve the detection and measurement of key elements such as phosphorus and molybdenum in the fossils.
The fossils themselves consist primarily of prokaryotic organisms, mainly resembling modern-day cyanobacteria and other bacteria-like structures. The Gunflint fossils are renowned for their exceptional preservation, often retaining detailed cellular and morphological features. This formation provides a unique snapshot of early life, making it a key resource for studying Earth's early biosphere.
Key Features of Gunflint Microfossils:
- Age: Approximately 1.88 billion years old.
- Types of Microfossils: Predominantly prokaryotic, including cyanobacteria-like and iron-oxidizing bacteria.
- Preservation: Preserved in fine-grained silica, which allowed for the detailed structure of cells to be captured.
- Environment: Likely from shallow marine environments, with organisms living in oxygenated waters (though Earth's atmosphere had relatively low oxygen at that time).
Importance of Gunflint Microfossils:
Significance of Analyzing Elements such as Phosphorus and Molybdenum:
- Early Life: They provide insights into the nature of microbial ecosystems and metabolic diversity on early Earth.
- Oxygenation: Gunflint microfossils show evidence of life forms thriving before the atmosphere became rich in oxygen (after the Great Oxidation Event).
- Microbial Mats: Evidence suggests that these early microorganisms might have formed stromatolite-like structures, indicating the existence of complex microbial communities.
- Phosphorus (P)
Phosphorus is a critical element for all life, as it forms the backbone of DNA, RNA, and ATP (the molecule responsible for energy transfer within cells). Analyzing phosphorus in Gunflint microfossils or associated sedimentary structures gives important insights into the biochemistry of early life.
- Nutrient Availability: Phosphorus is a limiting nutrient in many ecosystems. The presence and cycling of phosphorus in ancient environments would have been crucial for supporting microbial life. By studying phosphorus concentrations in these fossils, researchers can infer nutrient dynamics of early Earth oceans.
- Biochemical Evolution: Understanding how early life forms utilized phosphorus can provide clues about the evolution of biochemistry. For example, if these ancient microorganisms showed efficient ways to capture or recycle phosphorus, it could highlight adaptive mechanisms important for surviving in nutrient-poor environments.
- Molybdenum (Mo)
Molybdenum plays a key role in various enzymatic processes, particularly nitrogen fixation, a process essential for converting atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into bioavailable forms (e.g., ammonia) that organisms can use.
- Nitrogen Fixation: If Gunflint microfossils are associated with molybdenum, this suggests that early microbial life might have been capable of nitrogen fixation, a crucial evolutionary step that allowed life to thrive in environments where fixed nitrogen was scarce.
- Redox Conditions: Molybdenum is also useful for interpreting ancient redox conditions (the availability of oxygen and other oxidants in the environment). Since molybdenum tends to concentrate in oxygen-rich environments, its presence or absence can give clues about the oxygenation levels of ancient waters. This, in turn, helps scientists understand the evolution of Earth's atmosphere and the environmental conditions that early life had to adapt to.
Evolutionary Context:
- Biogeochemical Cycles: Both phosphorus and molybdenum are critical for understanding early biogeochemical cycles on Earth. Their availability and cycling would have influenced the types of metabolisms that could evolve. For example, organisms capable of using phosphorus and molybdenum efficiently may have had competitive advantages, potentially leading to evolutionary innovations in energy metabolism, such as photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation.
- Adaptation to Early Earth Conditions: The ability to analyze these elements helps to reconstruct the environmental pressures faced by early organisms and the evolutionary pathways they followed. Phosphorus and molybdenum provide critical windows into how early life evolved mechanisms to acquire nutrients and energy in the challenging conditions of early Earth.
In summary, Gunflint microfossils provide key evidence of early life on Earth, while the analysis of phosphorus and molybdenum in these ancient environments sheds light on the evolution of biochemical processes crucial for life, such as energy production and nutrient cycling. These elements not only reflect the ecological dynamics of ancient Earth but also illustrate the adaptive strategies of primitive life forms in response to their environment.
They have just published their findings, open access in the journal Scientific Reports and announced it in a Tohoku University press release:
Unveiling Ancient Life: New Method Sheds Light on Early Cellular and Metabolic Evolution
Fossils don't always come in large, dinosaur-sized packages. Microfossils refer to a type of fossil that is so small, it can only be perceived with a microscope. These microfossils can help us understand when and how early life forms developed essential features - ultimately allowing us to study the evolution of life. In order to analyze these microfossils, a pioneering method of analysis has been developed by a research team led by Akizumi Ishida from Tohoku University, in collaboration with experts from the University of Tokyo and Kochi University.
To analyze microfossils, scientists must detect minute quantities of critical elements like phosphorus and molybdenum. However, so far this has proven challenging.
Akizumi Ishida, corresponding author
Department of Earth Science, Graduate School of Sciences
Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
Their work focuses on 1.9-billion-year-old Gunflint microfossils, which are known as the "standard" of microfossil study. The team employed a novel approach by fixing these microfossils onto a specially coated glass slide (ITO-glass), allowing for integrated observations using both optical and electron microscopy.
Filamentous microfossils from the 1.9 billion-year-old Gunflint Formation studied in this research and the newly proposed sample preparation method. The rock is dissolved in acid to isolate the microfossils, which are then deposited onto ITO glass.© Tohoku University
ITO-glass is a glass plate coated with a thin layer of indium tin oxide (ITO). This conductive coating of metal oxide is not only suitable for electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), but also allows for optical observation. Due to its transparency, the internal structure of microfossils can be examined.
This method also enabled the precise detection of trace elements within the microfossils. In other words, it was able to clearly detect the true amount contrasted against a base level of background "noise." Phosphorus also occurs naturally in sedimentary rocks, for example, so it's important to be able to tell the difference.
By overcoming the interference from rock-derived elements and materials used to mount the fossils, the researchers successfully identified extremely low levels of phosphorus and molybdenum by using NanoSIMS (High Spatial Resolution Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer). This device allows for the imaging of almost all elements except noble gases with ultra-high spatial resolution of less than one micron.
Their analysis of phosphorus seen along the contours of microfossils revealed that these ancient microorganisms already had phospholipid cell membranes similar to those found in modern organisms. Additionally, the presence of molybdenum within microfossil bodies suggested the existence of possible nitrogen-fixing metabolic enzymes, consistent with previous reports identifying these microfossils as cyanobacteria.
Results of the multimodal analysis conducted on microfossils mounted on ITO glass. Optical observation, electron microscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry were performed on the same sample. The analysis successfully detected phosphorus and molybdenum aligned with the microfossil's membrane structure for the first time.© Tohoku University.
This innovative protocol is unique in its ability to provide consistent observations and analyses on the same sample. It offers significant advancements in understanding how life evolved on Earth's, providing direct evidence of cell membranes and metabolic processes in ancient microorganisms.
This technique is applicable not only to microfossils but also to early Earth's geological samples with minimal organic material. It opens avenues for analyzing even older geological periods. Additionally, it extends to trace elements such as copper, nickel, and cobalt, which can reveal metabolic patterns. The findings are expected to set new standards in early life evolution research and ultimately contribute to answering the profound questions about when and where life originated and how it evolved on Earth.
These findings were published in Scientific Reports on September 20, 2024.
Publication Details:Title: Ultrahigh-resolution imaging of biogenic phosphorus and molybdenum in paleoproterozoic gunflint microfossils Authors: Kohei Sasaki, Akizumi Ishida*, Takeshi Kakegawa, Naoto Takahata, Yuji Sano Journal: Scientific Reports DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-72191-8
AbstractNot only are scientists in no doubt that living organisms evolved and began as single-celled organisms, but they are also improving their ability to discover how and when they became increasingly complex with more advanced metabolisms and structures. None of this would be considered necessary, if, as creationists like to imagine, scientists are turning to their childish intelligent [sic] design notion because it gives better answers than the TOE.
Phosphorus and molybdenum play important roles in the formation of microbial cell structures and specific enzymes crucial for metabolic processes. Nevertheless, questions remain about the preservation of these elements within ancient microfossils. Here, we present shape-accurate ion images capturing phosphorus and molybdenum on Palaeoproterozoic filamentous microfossils by pioneering a methodology using lateral high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry. Introducing electrically conductive glass for mounting isolated microfossils facilitated clearer observations with increased secondary ion yields. Phosphorus was detected along the contours of microfossils, providing direct evidence of phospholipid utilization in the cell membrane. Trace amounts of molybdenum were detected within microfossil bodies, suggesting potential remnants of molybdenum-bearing proteins, such as nitrogenase. These findings align with the hypothesized cyanobacterial origin of filamentous gunflint microfossils. Our methodology introduces a groundbreaking tool for obtaining crucial insights into the cellular evolution and metabolic pathways of microorganisms, allowing comparisons of their morphological characteristics.
Introduction
Microfossils discovered within the 1.9 billion-year-old gunflint formation in Canada, known as “gunflint microfossils”, have been recognized as a standard for Precambrian microfossil research1,2,3,4. Predominantly characterized by filamentous, spheroid, and radial shapes, they also exhibit minor morphologies such as umbrella-like, colonial, and eukaryotic forms1,5,6,7. Variations in the morphologies, elemental distributions, coexisting minerals, and carbon isotopic compositions of these microfossils have been discussed, revealing the ecosystems and environmental conditions present at that time8,9,10,11,12. The filamentous gunflint microfossil, named Gunflintia, stands out as one of the most distinguished types of microfossils. Its morphology closely resembles that of cyanobacteria, which is supported by similarities in carbon isotopic compositions1,5,6,7,10. While the concentrations and distributions of major organic elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, have been examined via high-resolution ion imaging, direct imaging of other bioessential elements, such as phosphorus, has never been conducted. Its biogenicity has been inferred solely on the basis of concentration ratios of these elements to carbon by targeting bulk organic matter13,14. Molybdenum also plays an essential role in certain types of enzymatic proteins, including nitrogenase, which is necessary for biological nitrogen fixation. Consequently, the availability of molybdenum in the ocean has been a subject of discussion to elucidate palaeoenvironments and ecosystems4,15,16,17,18. Challenges in detecting trace metal elements, such as iron or manganese, in microfossil samples prepared as thin sections have been addressed in previous research using a lateral high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS)19. However, no study has directly detected of molybdenum in microfossils.
A recent study detected phosphorous in Archean microfossils; however, the imagery of its distribution and sporadic occurrences raise doubts about the organic origin, suggesting a mineralogical or artificial origin instead20. Notably, phosphorus and trace metal elements can also exist in sedimentary rocks in mineral forms. Therefore, to confirm their biogenic origin, observing their occurrence under an electron microscope, assessing their correlation with organic elements, and examining their compositional ratios compared with those of contemporaneous organic matter are crucial. These comprehensive analyses are essential steps in discerning the true nature and origin of these microfossils. The underlying difficulty in measuring trace elements in microfossils stems from their low concentrations, which are often in the parts-per-million (ppm) range, a concentration range that even living organisms exhibit21. In addition to these problems, the recent discovery of eukaryote-like microfossils in the Gunflint Formation has demonstrated that a combination of optical transmitted observations, combined with in situ high-resolution and high-sensitivity observations, provides more information for microfossil studies7. This integrated approach offers a more comprehensive understanding and more detailed data for microfossil studies, thereby addressing the complexities associated with their analysis. Hence, we have devised a methodology aimed at detecting trace amounts of phosphorus and molybdenum in conjunction with organic elements by using NanoSIMS while retaining optical and electrical observations targeting filamentous Gunflint microfossils. This innovative approach allows for a more holistic analysis, enabling us to unravel the intricate details of these ancient microorganisms and their surrounding environment.
Fig. 1
Optical and electron microscopy images of six filamentous microfossils. (a–f) Optical images of six filamentous microfossils that were isolated and mounted on ITO glass. The black arrows indicate each target. The corresponding secondary electron images, denoted by (g–l), are provided in sequence. The white arrows on Targets 4 and 6 indicate spherical organic matter, and those on Target 5 indicate protrusions on microfossils. The scale bars in the optical images represent 20 μm, and those in the electron microscopy images represent 10 μm.Sasaki, K., Ishida, A., Kakegawa, T. et al. Ultrahigh-resolution imaging of biogenic phosphorus and molybdenum in palaeoproterozoic gunflint microfossils. Sci Rep 14, 21780 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-72191-8
Copyright: © 2024 The authors.
Published by Springer Nature Ltd. Open access.
Reprinted under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0)
And, of course, if these ancient microorganism's had been intelligently designed, there would be no progressive changes to discover because they would have been created fully formed and perfect with no improvements needed (or possible).
Then there is the little matter of explaining how the dating method used to date the Gunflint Iron Formation was so badly flawed it just happened to make 10,000 years or less look like 1.88 million years - just the right time for when other evidence shows living organisms consisted of single-celled bacteria and archaea.
Just today's incidental refutation of creationism. More will be along shortly.
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