Cast from the Past? Microbial Diversity of a Neolithic Stone Circle
We studied the microbial diversity colonizing limestone rock pools at a Neolithic Monument (Arbor Low, Derbyshire, England). Five pools were analyzed: four located at the megaliths of the stone circle and one pool placed at the megalith at the Gib Hill burial mound 300 m distant. Samples were taken...
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MDPI AG
2024-11-01
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| author | Mercedes Martín-Cereceda Amaya de Cos-Gandoy Richard A. J. Williams David Elliott Andrea Serrano-Bellón Blanca Pérez-Uz Abel Sanchez-Jimenez |
| author_facet | Mercedes Martín-Cereceda Amaya de Cos-Gandoy Richard A. J. Williams David Elliott Andrea Serrano-Bellón Blanca Pérez-Uz Abel Sanchez-Jimenez |
| author_sort | Mercedes Martín-Cereceda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We studied the microbial diversity colonizing limestone rock pools at a Neolithic Monument (Arbor Low, Derbyshire, England). Five pools were analyzed: four located at the megaliths of the stone circle and one pool placed at the megalith at the Gib Hill burial mound 300 m distant. Samples were taken from rock pool walls and sediments, and investigated through molecular metabarcoding. The microbiome consisted of 23 phyla of bacteria (831 OTUs), 4 phyla of archaea (19 OTUs), and 27 phyla of microbial eukarya (596 OTUs). For bacteria, there were statistically significant differences in wall versus sediment populations, but not between pools. For archaea and eukarya, significant differences were found only between pools. The most abundant bacterial phylum in walls was Cyanobacteriota, and Pseudomonadota in sediments. For archaea and microbial eukarya, the dominant phyla were Euryarcheota and Chlorophyta, respectively, in both wall and sediments. The distant pool (P5) showed a markedly different community structure in phyla and species, habitat discrimination, and CHN content. Species sorting and dispersal limitation are discussed as mechanisms structuring the microbiome assemblages and their spatial connectivity. The Arbor Low microbiome is composed of terrestrial representatives common in extreme environments. The high presence of Cyanobacteriota and Chlorophyta in the Arbor Low stones is troubling, as these microorganisms can induce mechanical disruption by penetrating the limestone matrix through endolithic/chasmoendolithic growth. Future research should focus on the metabolic traits of strains to ascertain their implication in bioweathering and/or biomineralization. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cb3a94c8702a4c3b9b0f4129c714c5e2 |
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| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj-art-cb3a94c8702a4c3b9b0f4129c714c5e22025-08-20T02:05:06ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072024-11-011211233810.3390/microorganisms12112338Cast from the Past? Microbial Diversity of a Neolithic Stone CircleMercedes Martín-Cereceda0Amaya de Cos-Gandoy1Richard A. J. Williams2David Elliott3Andrea Serrano-Bellón4Blanca Pérez-Uz5Abel Sanchez-Jimenez6Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainNature Based Solutions Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UKDepartment of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainWe studied the microbial diversity colonizing limestone rock pools at a Neolithic Monument (Arbor Low, Derbyshire, England). Five pools were analyzed: four located at the megaliths of the stone circle and one pool placed at the megalith at the Gib Hill burial mound 300 m distant. Samples were taken from rock pool walls and sediments, and investigated through molecular metabarcoding. The microbiome consisted of 23 phyla of bacteria (831 OTUs), 4 phyla of archaea (19 OTUs), and 27 phyla of microbial eukarya (596 OTUs). For bacteria, there were statistically significant differences in wall versus sediment populations, but not between pools. For archaea and eukarya, significant differences were found only between pools. The most abundant bacterial phylum in walls was Cyanobacteriota, and Pseudomonadota in sediments. For archaea and microbial eukarya, the dominant phyla were Euryarcheota and Chlorophyta, respectively, in both wall and sediments. The distant pool (P5) showed a markedly different community structure in phyla and species, habitat discrimination, and CHN content. Species sorting and dispersal limitation are discussed as mechanisms structuring the microbiome assemblages and their spatial connectivity. The Arbor Low microbiome is composed of terrestrial representatives common in extreme environments. The high presence of Cyanobacteriota and Chlorophyta in the Arbor Low stones is troubling, as these microorganisms can induce mechanical disruption by penetrating the limestone matrix through endolithic/chasmoendolithic growth. Future research should focus on the metabolic traits of strains to ascertain their implication in bioweathering and/or biomineralization.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2338Arbor Lowneolithic monumentmicrobiomecyanobacteriotapseudomonadotaeuryarcheota |
| spellingShingle | Mercedes Martín-Cereceda Amaya de Cos-Gandoy Richard A. J. Williams David Elliott Andrea Serrano-Bellón Blanca Pérez-Uz Abel Sanchez-Jimenez Cast from the Past? Microbial Diversity of a Neolithic Stone Circle Microorganisms Arbor Low neolithic monument microbiome cyanobacteriota pseudomonadota euryarcheota |
| title | Cast from the Past? Microbial Diversity of a Neolithic Stone Circle |
| title_full | Cast from the Past? Microbial Diversity of a Neolithic Stone Circle |
| title_fullStr | Cast from the Past? Microbial Diversity of a Neolithic Stone Circle |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cast from the Past? Microbial Diversity of a Neolithic Stone Circle |
| title_short | Cast from the Past? Microbial Diversity of a Neolithic Stone Circle |
| title_sort | cast from the past microbial diversity of a neolithic stone circle |
| topic | Arbor Low neolithic monument microbiome cyanobacteriota pseudomonadota euryarcheota |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2338 |
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