Symbiosis of cornulitids with the cystoporate bryozoan Fistulipora in the Pridoli of Saaremaa,Estonia

Cornulites sp. and Fistulipora przhidolensis formed a symbiotic association in the Pridoli (latest Silurian) of Saaremaa Island, Estonia. This Cornulites sp.–F. przhidolensis association is the youngest example of cornulitid–bryozoan symbiosis. Symbiosis is indicated by intergrowth of both organisms. The cornulitids are completely embedded within the cystoporate bryozoan colony, leaving only their apertures free on the growth surface of bryozoan. In terms of food competition, this association could have been slightly harmful to F. przhidolensis as Cornulites sp. may have been a kleptoparasite. There may have been a small escalation in the evolution of the endobiotic life mode of cornulitids as the number of such associations increased from the Ordovician to Silurian. It is likely that Palaeozoic bryozoan symbiosis reached its maximum in the Late Ordovician. Most of the symbiotic bryozoans in the Palaeozoic are trepostomes, and the diversity of symbiotic associations was also greatest among trepostomes.     

Occurrence of Giant Borings of Osprioneides kampto in the Lower Silurian (Sheinwoodian) Stromatoporoids of Saaremaa,Estonia

The distribution of Osprioneides is more environmentally limited than that of Trypanites in the Silurian of Baltica. Osprioneides probably occurred only in large hard substrates of relatively deepwater muddy bottom open shelf environments. Osprioneides were relatively rare, occurring in 4.7% of all stromatoporoid specimens in that environment, in contrast to small Trypanites-Palaeosabella borings, which occur in 88.4% of stromatoporoids and 88.9% of heliolitid corals. Osprioneides is reported only from the lower Sheinwoodian stromatoporoids of the exposed Silurian of Saaremaa (Wenlock to Pridoli). Osprioneides borings probably played a minor role in the general bioerosion in the Silurian of Baltica.     

Traces of predation in the Cambrian

Series two marks a revolution in Cambrian predation when new predators and new predation methods appeared, which led to general increase in predation intensities and in the diversity of prey groups. The number of bored taxa and taxa with the predation scars is similar in the Cambrian. Most of the borings are associated with brachiopods and most of the scars with trilobites. Brachiopods, arthropods, molluscs, cnidarians and echinoderms were the most common prey in the Cambrian. The Cambrian record of predation is dominated by damage inflicted on brachiopods and trilobites. The fossils with predation signs are known from a majority of paleocontinents and all the Cambrian series.     

Tentaculitoid affinities of the tubeworm-like fossil Tymbochoos sinclairi (Okulitch, 1937) from the Ordovician of North America

Tymbochoos sinclairi (Okulitch, 1937) has a laminar tube structure and pseudopuncta similar to the tentaculitoids. This suggests that Tymbochoos belongs to the Tentaculitoidea Bou?ek, 1964.     

Reproductive Physiology in Young Men Is Cumulatively Affected by FSH-Action Modulating Genetic Variants: FSHR -29G/A and c.2039 A/G,FSHB -211G/T

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor (FSHR) -29G/A polymorphism (rs1394205) was reported to modulate gene expression and reproductive parameters in women, but data in men is limited. We aimed to bring evidence to the effect of FSHR -29G/A variants in men. In Baltic young male cohort (n = 982; Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians; aged 20.2±2.0 years), the FSHR -29 A-allele was significantly associated with higher serum FSH (linear regression: effect 0.27 IU/L; P = 0.0019, resistant to Bonferroni correction for multiple testing) and showed a non-significant trend for association with higher LH (0.19 IU/L) and total testosterone (0.93 nmol/L), but reduced Inhibin B (−7.84 pg/mL) and total testes volume (effect −1.00 mL). Next, we extended the study and tested the effect of FSHR gene haplotypes determined by the allelic combination of FSHR -29G/A and a well-studied variant c.2039 A/G (Asn680Ser, exon 10). Among the FSHR -29A/2039G haplotype carriers (A-Ser; haplotype-based linear regression), this genetic effect was enhanced for FSH (effect 0.40 IU/L), Inhibin B (−16.57 pg/mL) and total testes volume (−2.34 mL). Finally, we estimated the total contribution of three known FSH-action modulating SNPs (FSHB -211G/T; FSHR -29G/A, c.2039 A/G) to phenotypic variance in reproductive parameters among young men. The major FSH-action modulating SNPs explained together 2.3%, 1.4%, 1.0 and 1.1% of the measured variance in serum FSH, Inhibin B, testosterone and total testes volume, respectively. In contrast to the young male cohort, neither FSHR -29G/A nor FSHR haplotypes appeared to systematically modulate the reproductive physiology of oligozoospermic idiopathic infertile patients (n = 641, Estonians; aged 31.5±6.0 years). In summary, this is the first study showing the significant effect of FSHR -29G/A on male serum FSH level. To account for the genetic effect of known common polymorphisms modulating FSH-action, we suggest haplotype-based analysis of FSHR SNPs (FSHR -29G/A, c.2039 A/G) in combination with FSHB -211G/T testing.     

Occurrence,Formation and Function of Organic Sheets in the Mineral Tube Structures of Serpulidae (Polychaeta,Annelida)

A scanning electron microscopy study of organic sheets in serpulid tube mineral structures was carried out to discern their function, formation and evolution. The organic sheets may have some taxonomic value in distinguishing the two major clades of serpulids previously identified. The organic sheets in the mineral tube structure occur only in certain taxa belonging to clade A, but not all species in clade A have them. Organic sheets are best developed in genus Spirobranchus. One could speculate that organic sheets have evolved as an adaption to further strengthen the mechanical properties of the tubes in clade A, which contains serpulids with the most advanced mineral tube microstructures. The organic sheets are presumably secreted with at least some mineral phase.     

Early symbiotic rugosan endobionts in stromatoporoids from the Rhuddanian of Estonia (Baltica)

The earliest known symbiotic rugosan endobionts occur in stromatoporoids from the early Rhuddanian of Estonia. The stromatoporoid Ecclimadictyon nikitini from the Tamsalu Formation contains the rugosan Donacophyllum middendorffii endobiont. A stromatoporoid Clathrodictyon boreale from the Varbola Formation contains Streptelasma estonica and Bodophyllum sp. endobionts. There are up to three endobiotic rugosans per stromatoporoid host. Stromatoporoid hosts were beneficial for symbiotic rugosans as elevated substrates on a seafloor that offered a higher tier for feeding; they also offered enhanced substrate stability. Stromatoporoids of the end‐Ordovician mass‐extinction recovery fauna hosted a diverse fauna of symbiotic endobionts. There were few if any negative effects of this mass extinction on the symbiotic endobionts.     

On the unique isotropic aragonitic tube microstructure of some serpulids (Polychaeta,Annelida)

A Scanning electron microscopy study of peculiar serpulid tube microstructures was carried out to determine whether this structure is unique to serpulids and to understand its formation and evolution. The isotropic aragonitic tube microstructure of some serpulids, termed spherulitic irregularly oriented prismatic structure (SIOP), is unknown in other animal skeletons. After nucleation, initial spherulitic prismatic aragonite crystals presumably grow in length and width at one end, collide with the surrounding growing crystal fans, and then continue intertwined growth until the secreted carbonate‐charged mucus is completely crystallized. Spherulitic irregularly oriented prismati structure presumably evolved either from the IOP or homogeneous rounded crystal microstructures. J. Morphol., 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Symbiotic interactions in the Silurian of Baltica

Thirteen symbiotic associations occur in the Silurian of Baltica. Symbiosis was especially prominent among colonial animals, most commonly with stromatoporoids. These sponges hosted the most diverse fauna of endobiotic symbionts (including rugosans, Syringopora, ‘polychaetes’, cornulitids and lingulids). This pattern can be explained by the abundance of stromatoporoids in the Silurian of Baltica and their large skeletal volume, making them attractive hosts for smaller invertebrates. There is an evolutionary trend of an increasing number of different pairs of symbiotic taxa from the Llandovery to the Ludlow, with a remarkable increase in the Ludlow. This is likely related to an increase in the number of mutualistic taxa that could have had evolutionary advantages over organisms less amenable to symbiosis. The number of different pairs of symbiotic taxa also increased in the Wenlock, which may be linked to delayed recovery from the end‐Ordovician mass extinction.     

Microstructure and formation of the calcareous operculum in Pyrgopolonctenactis and Spirobranchusgiganteus (Annelida, Serpulidae)

The calcareous operculum of Pyrgopolon ctenactis is composed of spherulitic prismatic structures. The opercular cup consists of regular spherulitic prismatic crystals; the talon has two layers, an inner with an irregular spherulitic prismatic structure (150 μm thick) and an outer with a regular spherulitic prismatic structure (110 μm thick). The outer regular structure has thick (1 μm) organic interprismatic sheets unique in biomineralization of this group, but similar to that of Bivalvia. We infer that control over biomineralization is stronger during the formation of the outer regular layer, with its thick organic interprismatic sheets, than during the formation of the inner irregular spherulitic prismatic structure, without such sheets. In Spirobranchus giganteus, opercular formation differs from that of P. ctenactis. S. giganteus has numerous pores in its opercular plate, and calcification starts with the formation of an outer irregularly oriented prismatic structure followed by an oriented prismatic structure without interprismatic sheets.