EARLY TRIASSIC ORIGIN OF COCCOLITHOGENESIS
Calcareous nannofossil investigations were conducted on Lower and Middle Triassic marine successions from South China. Coccoliths, nannoliths and calcispheres are relatively frequent and moderately preserved, showing an increase in diversity from the Smithian (Olenekian) to the Ladinian. The oldest...
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Milano University Press
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia |
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| Online Access: | https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/29160 |
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| author | Cinzia Bottini ELISABETTA ERBA DA-YONG JIANG RYOSUKE MOTANI ANDREA TINTORI GIULIA FAUCHER |
| author_facet | Cinzia Bottini ELISABETTA ERBA DA-YONG JIANG RYOSUKE MOTANI ANDREA TINTORI GIULIA FAUCHER |
| author_sort | Cinzia Bottini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Calcareous nannofossil investigations were conducted on Lower and Middle Triassic marine successions from South China. Coccoliths, nannoliths and calcispheres are relatively frequent and moderately preserved, showing an increase in diversity from the Smithian (Olenekian) to the Ladinian. The oldest nannofossils, dated to the Smithian, include Eoconusphaera hallstattensis and very simple coccoliths attributed to a sp. A morphogroup. Nannoliths of Prinsiosphaera triassica and Carnicalyxia, along with rare specimens of Tetralithus pseudotrifidus and Crucirhabdus cf. C. minutus are present in the Spathian-Pelsonian (Olenekian-Anisian) and Longobardian (Ladinian) samples, respectively. A total of 10 new morphotypes are also described. The Smithian coccoliths documented here significantly narrow the temporal gap between molecular clock estimates for the origin of calcifying coccolithophores and their first fossil record. Our data represent the oldest known nannofossils and push back the onset of coccolithophore calcification by approximately 40 million years, shortly after the end-Permian mass extinction. The Olenekian primitive, simple and tiny coccoliths from South China suggest that early coccolithophores emerged in a coastal environment of the eastern Tethys Ocean. The onset of calcification in Calcihaptophycidae may have been facilitated by suppressed atmospheric CO2 levels, coupled with increased nutrient availability following the emplacement of the Siberian Traps. The emergence of this new phytoplanktonic group correlates with the earliest recovery of benthic calcifiers, potentially shaping post-extinction marine biodiversity and influencing the evolution of the ocean toward modern conditions.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-29ce87b775cf480d80284956c2d6e911 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0035-6883 2039-4942 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Milano University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia |
| spelling | doaj-art-29ce87b775cf480d80284956c2d6e9112025-08-20T03:51:09ZengMilano University PressRivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia0035-68832039-49422025-07-01131210.54103/2039-4942/29160EARLY TRIASSIC ORIGIN OF COCCOLITHOGENESISCinzia Bottini0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1287-5579ELISABETTA ERBA1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6213-6550DA-YONG JIANG2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4668-2081RYOSUKE MOTANI3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5022-1053ANDREA TINTORI4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3656-3214GIULIA FAUCHER5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8930-477XUniversity of Milan University of Milan Peking University University of California, Davis University of MilanGEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Calcareous nannofossil investigations were conducted on Lower and Middle Triassic marine successions from South China. Coccoliths, nannoliths and calcispheres are relatively frequent and moderately preserved, showing an increase in diversity from the Smithian (Olenekian) to the Ladinian. The oldest nannofossils, dated to the Smithian, include Eoconusphaera hallstattensis and very simple coccoliths attributed to a sp. A morphogroup. Nannoliths of Prinsiosphaera triassica and Carnicalyxia, along with rare specimens of Tetralithus pseudotrifidus and Crucirhabdus cf. C. minutus are present in the Spathian-Pelsonian (Olenekian-Anisian) and Longobardian (Ladinian) samples, respectively. A total of 10 new morphotypes are also described. The Smithian coccoliths documented here significantly narrow the temporal gap between molecular clock estimates for the origin of calcifying coccolithophores and their first fossil record. Our data represent the oldest known nannofossils and push back the onset of coccolithophore calcification by approximately 40 million years, shortly after the end-Permian mass extinction. The Olenekian primitive, simple and tiny coccoliths from South China suggest that early coccolithophores emerged in a coastal environment of the eastern Tethys Ocean. The onset of calcification in Calcihaptophycidae may have been facilitated by suppressed atmospheric CO2 levels, coupled with increased nutrient availability following the emplacement of the Siberian Traps. The emergence of this new phytoplanktonic group correlates with the earliest recovery of benthic calcifiers, potentially shaping post-extinction marine biodiversity and influencing the evolution of the ocean toward modern conditions. https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/29160calcareous nannofossils; Early Triassic; coccolithogenesis; South China. |
| spellingShingle | Cinzia Bottini ELISABETTA ERBA DA-YONG JIANG RYOSUKE MOTANI ANDREA TINTORI GIULIA FAUCHER EARLY TRIASSIC ORIGIN OF COCCOLITHOGENESIS Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia calcareous nannofossils; Early Triassic; coccolithogenesis; South China. |
| title | EARLY TRIASSIC ORIGIN OF COCCOLITHOGENESIS |
| title_full | EARLY TRIASSIC ORIGIN OF COCCOLITHOGENESIS |
| title_fullStr | EARLY TRIASSIC ORIGIN OF COCCOLITHOGENESIS |
| title_full_unstemmed | EARLY TRIASSIC ORIGIN OF COCCOLITHOGENESIS |
| title_short | EARLY TRIASSIC ORIGIN OF COCCOLITHOGENESIS |
| title_sort | early triassic origin of coccolithogenesis |
| topic | calcareous nannofossils; Early Triassic; coccolithogenesis; South China. |
| url | https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/29160 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cinziabottini earlytriassicoriginofcoccolithogenesis AT elisabettaerba earlytriassicoriginofcoccolithogenesis AT dayongjiang earlytriassicoriginofcoccolithogenesis AT ryosukemotani earlytriassicoriginofcoccolithogenesis AT andreatintori earlytriassicoriginofcoccolithogenesis AT giuliafaucher earlytriassicoriginofcoccolithogenesis |