Re-appraisal of the stratigraphy and determination of new U-Pb dates for the Sterkfontein hominin site, South Africa

Sterkfontein Caves is the single richest early hominin site in the world with deposits yielding one or more species of Australopithecus and possible early Homo, as well as an extensive faunal collection. The inability to date the southern African cave sites accurately or precisely has hindered attempts to integrate the hominin fossil evidence into pan-African scenarios about human evolutionary history, and especially hominin biogeography. We have used U-Pb and U-Th techniques to date sheets of calcium carbonate flowstone inter-bedded between the fossiliferous sediments. For the first time, absolute age ranges can be assigned to the fossil-bearing deposits: Member 2 is between 2.8 ± 0.28 and 2.6 ± 0.30 Ma and Member 4 between 2.65 ± 0.30 and 2.01 ± 0.05 Ma. The age of 2.01 ± 0.05 Ma for the top of Member 4 constrains the last appearance of Australopithecus africanus to 2 Ma. In the Silberberg Grotto we have reproduced the U-Pb age of ∼2.2 Ma of for the flowstones associated with StW573. We believe that these deposits, including the fossil and the flowstones, accumulated rapidly around 2.2 Ma. The stratigraphy of the site is complex as sediments are exposed both in the underground chambers and at surface. We present a new interpretation of the stratigraphy based on surface mapping, boreholes logs and U-Pb ages. Every effort was made to retain the Member system, however, only Members 2 and 4 are recognized in the boreholes. We propose that the deposits formally known as Member 3 are in fact the distal equivalents of Member 4. The sediments of Members 2 and 4 consisted of cone-like deposits and probably never filled up the cave. The U-Th ages show that there are substantial deposits younger than 400 ka in the underground cave, underlying the older deposits, highlighting again that these cave fills are not simple layer-cakes.     

Water column dissolved silica concentration limits microphytobenthic primary production in intertidal sediments

Primary production of microphytobenthos (MPB) contributes significantly to the total production in shallow coastal environments. MPB is a diverse community in which diatoms are usually the main microalgal group. Diatoms require N, P, and other nutrients as with other autotrophs, but in addition require silicate to create their outer cell wall. Therefore, dissolved silica (DSi) might be a potential limiting factor for benthic primary production in areas with reduced freshwater input. To test this hypothesis, a microcosm experiment was conducted using intact sediment cores collected from an intertidal mudflat in the Bay of Cádiz and supplied with increasing concentrations of DSi (0, 5, 10, 25, and 45 μmol · L^?1). After 7 d of enrichment, we determined chlorophyll a and c (Chl a, c) contents, metabolic rates (Net [P_n] and Areal Gross [P_g^A] Production and Light [R_L] and Dark [R_D] Respiration), as well as fluxes of inorganic nutrients across the sediment‐water interface. Chl a and c contents increased significantly with respect to the initial conditions but no differences between treatments were found. Both P_n and P_g^A showed a saturating‐like pattern with silicate concentration, reaching maximum rates at a DSi concentration of 45 μmol · L^?1. The addition of DSi also resulted in an increase of DSi and ammonium uptake by the sediment, which was significantly higher in light than in darkness. Our results clearly show that water column DSi concentrations have a direct impact on benthic primary production, also controlling other related processes such as inorganic nutrient fluxes.     

Gammaproteobacteria occurrence and microdiversity in Tyrrhenian Sea sediments as revealed by cultivation-dependent and -independent approaches

Bacterial diversity in Tyrrhenian Sea sediments was assessed using cultivation-dependent and -independent approaches. Samples collected from the different sediment layers (up to 30 cm) relative to four seamount and non-seamount stations, at depths from 3425 to 3580 m, were subjected to DNA extraction and 16S rRNA amplification targeting the V3 region. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) showed several heterogeneous profiles and 27 single bands were excised and sequenced. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi in 26% of the DGGE bands and a predominance of sequences affiliated to cultivable and uncultivable clones of Gammaproteobacteria (55%). To corroborate these findings, cultivation attempts were performed that allowed the isolation of 87 strains assigned to the proteobacterial classes. Identification was achieved by means of automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) and by 16S rDNA sequencing. The isolates were related to the gamma, alpha and beta subclasses of Proteobacteria with respective percentages of 77, 17 and 6%. The most predominant Gammaproteobacteria isolates, assigned to the Psychrobacter marincola and P. submarinus clade (n = 53) and to Halomonas aquamarina (n = 14), showed a huge intraspecific diversity with 29 distinct ARISA haplotypes. The detection by both approaches of these psychrophilic and moderately halophilic species and their extensive microdiversity indicated their predominance in Tyrrhenian Sea sediments where they constituted the indigenous microflora.     

The effects of heavy metals on microbial biomass in sediments of Palestine Lake

Effects of metal contamination on microbial biomass in sediment samples from three areas in Palestine Lake (one area highly polluted with chromium, cadmium and zinc) were determined. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentrations, determined by the luciferin-luciferase bioluminescent technique, and microbial colony numbers on pour plates were used as biomass indicators. Plate counts showed a significant (P < 0.01) site effect with the highly contaminated area having an order of magnitude lower microbial population than the control area. ATP concentrations also indicated lower microbial biomass in contaminated sediments. The metal concentrations of the most contaminated area averaged 17,840 µg Zn/g, 4380 µg Cr/g and 585 µg Cd/g based on dry weight of sediments. A suppression of organic decomposition was evident in the impacted area; high metal levels and resultant low microbial biomass may have been causative.     

The trophic history of Enäjärvi,SW Finland,with special reference to its restoration problems

The eutrophicated Enäjärvi was studied by paleolimnological analyses and sediment mapping. The sedimentary record indicates that the lake nutrient balance had deteriorated due to lowering of the lake water level in the year 1928. From that event onwards Chironomus plumosus and Cyclotella astraea characterize the chironomid and diatom communities. The concentrations of sedimentary total and mobile phosphorus show that since then the internal load of phosphorus has controlled the nutrient cycle of the lake. The areal distribution of mobile phosphorus can be explained by dominant wind directions and wind resuspension of the sediment is the key factor in the nutrient cycle. Restoration of Enäjärvi must be based on actions which stabilize the surface sediment and improve its natural phosphorus-binding capacity. They include the regulation of lake water to as high a level as possible and the removal of the majority of roach.     

On polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons contamination levels in the ecosystem of Lake Peipsi in the 1970s–1980s

The data on benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and other polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) pollution of Lake Peipsi and its tributaries in the 1970s–1980s have been summarized. Systematic data on the pollution of Lake Peipsi by BaP are available. The BaP content in lake water varied from <0.1 to 237 ng 1^–1. The content and qualitative composition of PAH varied in different observations. PAH were accumulated mainly in the bottom sediments; in their surface layer BaP concentrations were 10³–10⁶ times higher than in water. The concentration of the PAH in bottom sediments varied from 16 to 580 µg kg^–1 in the lake and from 40 to 2800 µg kg^–1 in its tributaries. The content of BaP in fish and biota was not high. Among the pollution sources the atmospheric pollution played quite a significant role. The lake was also polluted by oil spillage and fuel exhausts from boats and ships. The PAH concentration in the water of the tributaries was somewhat higher than in the area of Lake Peipsi.     

Phenology of dormancy in a Virginia population ofMesocyclops edax (Crustacea: Copepoda)

The abundance and age structure of a Virginia, USA population ofMesocyclops edax that undergoes dormancy in an eutrophic lake was investigated from October 1988 through March 1989. During the fall all instars ofM. edax were present in the water column. By early December, only CI-CIV instars were found. M. edax was not found in the water column in January, but sediment cores in February revealed the presence of CIV's and adult females distributed predominantly at 0–3 cm and in lesser abundance at 3–6 cm. NoM. edax were found below 6 cm. By early March animals in the sediments emerged from dormancy and colonized the water column; CIV's and adult females predominated while CV's and adult males were present in small numbers. Dormancy of both juvenile and adult instars within one population is unusual among animal species. Life histories including multiple dormant stages may be more important for the adaptive evolution of cyclopoid copepods than calanoid copepods in freshwater habitats.     

Offshore sedimentary facies of a modern carbonate ramp, Kuwait, northwestern Arabian-Persian Gulf

The Kuwait example studied here may serve as a model for ancient carbonate ramp systems just as the classical—but markedly different—southern Arabian-Persian Gulf ramp of the Trucial Coast (United Arab Emirates). Five sedimentary facies may be distinguished on the modern southern Kuwait carbonate ramp based on quantitative sedimentological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses of 130 surface sediment samples and by using multivariate statistics. These facies include (1) inner ramp ooid-skeletal grainstone with common aggregate grains, peloids, and molluscs, (2) limited occurrences of nearshore quartz-ooid sand, (3) mid ramp mollusk packstone to grainstone, (4) outer ramp mollusk-marl wackestone with abundant siliciclastic fines, and (5) coralgal grainstone that is found on small nearshore patch reefs and outer ramp pinnacle and platform reefs. In addition to facies (1), an aggregate grain packstone to grainstone sub-facies is mapped out where abundances of this grain type exceed 20%. Ooid-skeletal grainstone, mollusk packstone to grainstone, and coralgal grainstone are predominantly aragonitic with 5–10% insoluble residue on average. Mollusk-marl wackestone has 55% insoluble residue on average with aragonite and low-magnesium calcite predominating in the carbonate fraction. Dolomite in this facies is interpreted to be of eolian origin derived from the upwind deserts of Syria and Iraq. Facies distribution is correlated with water depth, and hence controlled by depositional energy, primarily wavebase. This correlation is seen in the results of statistical analyses and in the fact that facies boundaries are more or less parallel to depth contours. Ooid-skeletal grainstones are found in depths from 0 to <10 m. The boundary between the mollusk packstone to grainstone and the mollusk-marl wackestone, which also marks the transition from grain-supported to mud-supported textures, is situated between 15–20 m depth and is much sharper than the boundary between the ooid-skeletal and the mollusk packstone to grainstone facies. Carbonate-dominated facies may also be distinguished geochemically as indicated by significantly different carbon and oxygen isotope compositions. The latter should be kept in mind when using bulk isotope values for chemostratigraphy or for paleo-environmental reconstructions in fossil carbonate ramps and platforms.An erratum to this article can be found at .     

Archaea of the Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group are abundant,diverse and widespread in marine sediments

Members of the highly diverse Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group (MCG) are globally distributed in various marine and continental habitats. In this study, we applied a polyphasic approach (rRNA slot blot hybridization, quantitative PCR (qPCR) and catalyzed reporter deposition FISH) using newly developed probes and primers for the in situ detection and quantification of MCG crenarchaeota in diverse types of marine sediments and microbial mats. In general, abundance of MCG (cocci, 0.4 μm) relative to other archaea was highest (12–100%) in anoxic, low-energy environments characterized by deeper sulfate depletion and lower microbial respiration rates (P=0.06 for slot blot and P=0.05 for qPCR). When studied in high depth resolution in the White Oak River estuary and Hydrate Ridge methane seeps, changes in MCG abundance relative to total archaea and MCG phylogenetic composition did not correlate with changes in sulfate reduction or methane oxidation with depth. In addition, MCG abundance did not vary significantly (P>0.1) between seep sites (with high rates of methanotrophy) and non-seep sites (with low rates of methanotrophy). This suggests that MCG are likely not methanotrophs. MCG crenarchaeota are highly diverse and contain 17 subgroups, with a range of intragroup similarity of 82 to 94%. This high diversity and widespread distribution in subsurface sediments indicates that this group is globally important in sedimentary processes.