GeobiologyPub Date : 2026-09-01DOI: 10.1111/gbi.70062
Sean M Newby, Jeremy D Owens, Seth A Young, Øyvind Hammer
{"title":"Thallium Isotopes Across the Smithian-Spathian Boundary: Evidence for Anoxia Throughout Most of the Early Triassic.","authors":"Sean M Newby, Jeremy D Owens, Seth A Young, Øyvind Hammer","doi":"10.1111/gbi.70062","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gbi.70062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Following the largest known Phanerozoic extinction, the end-Permian mass extinction, the Early Triassic is often considered an interval of slow biotic recovery. During this time, the minor Smithian-Spathian extinction occurred, further delaying the biotic recovery of this epoch. One mechanism linked to the slow recovery is widespread marine anoxic conditions, but the spatiotemporal changes to anoxia following the mass extinction remain poorly constrained. Here, we utilized local and global redox-sensitive metal proxies to track variations in (de-)oxygenation at Wallenbergfjellet, a section in Spitsbergen, Arctic Norway. Local proxies (e.g., Fe speciation and trace metal concentrations) indicate basinal anoxia and possibly euxinia prevalent in the Boreal Ocean during this interval. Importantly, thallium isotopes, a global paleoredox proxy sensitive to Mn oxide burial, have not previously been applied to the Early Triassic recovery interval that followed the end-Permian mass extinction, though basinal restriction may limit geographic extent of interpretations. Our results show a shift in ε<sup>205</sup>Tl values from ~ -4.0 in the Smithian to ~ -2.0 at the Smithian-Spathian boundary (SSB), consistent with a rapid expansion of global anoxia coincident with the boundary extinction. A rapid perturbation in thallium isotopes at the SSB (from -4.0 to -2.0 ε-units) indicates this interval experienced an expansion of anoxic conditions that can be linked to the minor extinction event during the recovery interval following the end-Permian mass extinction. This suggests that global anoxia persisted throughout the Early Triassic and contributed to delayed biotic recovery, with the SSB representing a major intensification of reducing conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":173,"journal":{"name":"Geobiology","volume":"24 5","pages":"e70062"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13539283/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148878639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GeobiologyPub Date : 2026-08-29DOI: 10.1111/gbi.70059
France Champenois, Maree L. Corkeron, Annette D. George
{"title":"Dolomitic Microfossil Preservation in a Cryogenian Microbial Reef, Arkaroola (South Australia)","authors":"France Champenois, Maree L. Corkeron, Annette D. George","doi":"10.1111/gbi.70059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.70059","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Microbial dolostones that now form the Arkaroola reef, northern Adelaide Rift Complex, and were deposited during the Cryogenian interglacial period, display a wide range of meso-scale stromatolite morphotypes in outcrop. Microcharacterisation involving optical microscopy, combined scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectroscopy (NanoSIMS), was undertaken to identify microbial textures and relics in stromatolite samples. Microbial textures identified are micritic streaky and micropeloidal (grumous) microstructures as well as microcolumns, micritic threads and micritised tubular outlines resembling the <i>Girvanella</i> calcimicrobe. Within these microbial textures, multiple biotic components are discerned, including intact and flattened tubular bacterial sheaths, smooth and nanogranular non-crystalline extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), filamentous and spherical bacteriomorphs, as well as coccobacilli-like moulds. The biotic-mineralogical interface is characterised by microcrystalline rhombic dolomite, nano-sized pyrite spheroids and nano-sized flaky silicates in direct contact with biotic components. Interpreted as a mixed community of filamentous and coccoidal (cyano)bacteria, these microbes were important contributors to reef building. Preservation of microfossils was likely facilitated by synsedimentary silicification of EPS and bacterial sheaths. Microbial metabolic processes lowered kinetic barriers for authigenic precipitation of clay minerals on bacterial surfaces serving as nucleation sites. These synsedimentary clays strengthened initially soft microfabrics and potentially helped establish chemical conditions that promoted early diagenetic precipitation of protodolomite. The findings of this study show that carbonates may intricately preserve microfossils where associated with synsedimentary authigenic clays and microcrystalline dolomite. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of the formation and growth of microbial reefs during the Cryogenian interglacial period.</p>","PeriodicalId":173,"journal":{"name":"Geobiology","volume":"24 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/gbi.70059","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148856763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GeobiologyPub Date : 2026-07-13DOI: 10.1111/gbi.70058
Brianna Hibner, Nicolas J. M. Bell, Maya Gomes, Irina Overeem, Tyler Lincoln, Jacqueline E. Dodd, Elizabeth J. Trower
{"title":"The Role of Microbial Mats in the Biostabilization of Sediment Through Trapping and Binding","authors":"Brianna Hibner, Nicolas J. M. Bell, Maya Gomes, Irina Overeem, Tyler Lincoln, Jacqueline E. Dodd, Elizabeth J. Trower","doi":"10.1111/gbi.70058","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gbi.70058","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Layered microbial communities, called microbial mats, commonly form in the intertidal or shallow subtidal zone, particularly in areas protected from wave action and strong currents. These microbial mats can accrete by growing around sand-sized detrital mineral grains in a two-step process known as trapping and binding. We hypothesized that trapping and binding by microbial mats can promote the stabilization of sand-sized sediment and is therefore a process that should be considered as an important mode of biostabilization for sandy coastlines threatened by sea-level rise and increased storm intensity. To test this hypothesis, we designed a suite of in situ field incubation experiments to assess the amount of sediment microbial mats can trap if given a large sediment supply. These experiments, conducted on Little Ambergris Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands, focused on two of the most common morphologies of microbial mats (i.e., polygonal tufted mats and flat mats). We observed cyanobacterial filaments move around and on top of sand-sized grains within the first 24 h of each experiment, with increased movement related to environmental factors (duration of submergence, protection from tidal advection, and light availability). The results of our experiments show that polygonal tufted mats can stabilize twice the amount of sand-sized sediment than was naturally delivered over multi-month timescales, meaning these mats are sediment supply-limited and are capable of capturing more sediment. Furthermore, microbial mats have the capacity to trap and bind larger grains than seagrasses and mangroves. We recommend that microbial mats should be considered as part of nature-based management solutions for biostabilization of sand-sized sediment.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":173,"journal":{"name":"Geobiology","volume":"24 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148429448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GeobiologyPub Date : 2026-07-11DOI: 10.1111/gbi.70056
Steffen Buessecker, Aya S. Klos, Melanie E. Quan, Anna H. Finch, Morgan S. Sobol, Guy N. Evans, Ariel D. Anbar, Betül Kaçar, Anne E. Dekas
{"title":"Microbial N2O Reduction in Sulfidic Waters: Implications for Proterozoic Oceans","authors":"Steffen Buessecker, Aya S. Klos, Melanie E. Quan, Anna H. Finch, Morgan S. Sobol, Guy N. Evans, Ariel D. Anbar, Betül Kaçar, Anne E. Dekas","doi":"10.1111/gbi.70056","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gbi.70056","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Throughout Earth's history, shifts in ocean redox influenced the bioavailability of trace metals, shaping the activity of microorganisms. In Proterozoic oceans, the precipitation of copper (Cu) with sulfide was hypothesized to limit the bioavailability of Cu. This limitation may have suppressed microbial reduction of nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O), due to the Cu dependency of nitrous oxide reductase (Nos). It is thought that without this critical microbial sink, Proterozoic oceans were a significant net source of N<sub>2</sub>O. Here, we revisit this paradigm in light of recently derived ~20-fold lower estimates for sulfide in Proterozoic seawater and an empirical evaluation of the potential for microbial N<sub>2</sub>O reduction under sulfidic conditions. Leveraging publicly available environmental metatranscriptomes, we infer active N<sub>2</sub>O reduction from the detection of <i>nosZ</i> transcripts in multiple marine and lacustrine systems in which sulfide and Cu concentrations are analogous to those of the Proterozoic. In controlled culture experiments, we demonstrate that the purple non-sulfur bacterium <i>Rhodopseudomonas palustris</i> can reduce N<sub>2</sub>O at sulfide concentrations up to 50 μM, well above levels predicted for Proterozoic oceans. Based on trace metal speciation modeling, we suggest that Cu remains bioavailable under Proterozoic-like conditions as a dissolved CuHS<sup>0</sup> complex. Collectively, these observations suggest microbial N<sub>2</sub>O reduction occurs under euxinic conditions, implying that Proterozoic marine N<sub>2</sub>O emissions were lower than previously proposed. Our conclusions inform our understanding of the microbial ecology in sulfidic waters, the early climate, and the search for extraterrestrial life.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":173,"journal":{"name":"Geobiology","volume":"24 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148417130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GeobiologyPub Date : 2026-07-03DOI: 10.1111/gbi.70057
Haipeng Deng, Yating Yin, Teng Zhou, Liyuan Ma, Zhaoyi Dai, Hongmei Wang, Deng Liu
{"title":"Manganese(II) Oxidation and Mineralization by the Deep-Sea Bacterium Shewanella piezotolerans WP3","authors":"Haipeng Deng, Yating Yin, Teng Zhou, Liyuan Ma, Zhaoyi Dai, Hongmei Wang, Deng Liu","doi":"10.1111/gbi.70057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gbi.70057","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Microbially mediated manganese (Mn) oxidation is a key process in the biogeochemical cycling of Mn. While <i>Shewanella</i> is widely recognized for its metal-reducing capabilities, recent studies have shown that certain terrestrial strains can also oxidize Mn<sup>2+</sup> during aerobic respiration. Nevertheless, the Mn<sup>2+</sup>-oxidizing capacity of marine <i>Shewanella</i> strains, which are ubiquitous in oceanic settings, has remained largely unexplored, and the influence of environmental factors on this capacity has not been systematically evaluated. Here, we investigated the ability of the deep-sea bacterium <i>S. piezotolerans</i> WP3 to oxidize Mn<sup>2+</sup> under aerobic conditions and examined the effects of temperature (4°C–20°C) and hydrostatic pressure (0.1–20 MPa). We found that <i>S. piezotolerans</i> WP3 efficiently oxidizes Mn<sup>2+</sup> to Mn oxides, predominantly forming bixbyite-like minerals and amorphous mixed-valence nanoparticles. This oxidation process was not attributable to a Mn<sup>2+</sup>-specific enzyme but to bacterially generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), with superoxide (O<sub>2</sub><sup>•-</sup>) playing the primary role. Both temperature and hydrostatic pressure significantly affected the final extent of Mn<sup>2+</sup> oxidation by altering the production of O<sub>2</sub><sup>•-</sup>. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that exposure to high hydrostatic pressure induced the upregulation of genes involved in antioxidative stress, which likely accounts for the enhanced ROS-mediated Mn<sup>2+</sup> oxidation observed in cultures incubated at 20 MPa. Under alternating aerobic and anaerobic conditions, strain WP3 mediated successive Mn oxidation and reduction, ultimately forming rhodochrosite as a secondary mineral. These results suggest that <i>S. piezotolerans</i> WP3 has the potential to mediate Mn redox cycling in marine sediments, coupling ROS-dependent oxidation with anaerobic Mn reduction.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":173,"journal":{"name":"Geobiology","volume":"24 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148373265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GeobiologyPub Date : 2026-06-10DOI: 10.1111/gbi.70055
S. Viehmann, A.-L. Zocher, S. V. Hohl, D. Kraemer, A. Martin, M. Markowska, S. Weyer
{"title":"Contrasting Rare Earth Element Signatures Between Stromatolitic Carbonates and Lagoon Waters at Shark Bay, Western Australia: Implications for Paleo-Environmental Reconstructions of Microbial Habitats","authors":"S. Viehmann, A.-L. Zocher, S. V. Hohl, D. Kraemer, A. Martin, M. Markowska, S. Weyer","doi":"10.1111/gbi.70055","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gbi.70055","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) signatures in stromatolitic carbonates have emerged as powerful geochemical proxies for reconstructing paleo-depositional environments of microbial habitats. The applicability of such a proxy relies on the assumption that REY substitutes for calcium into crystal lattices, directly reflecting the composition of the fluid from which the carbonate precipitated. The REY signatures of stromatolites are often similar to those of open ocean seawater. In restricted environments, however, REY fractionation can occur between waters and stromatolites, questioning their reliability to reconstruct microbial habitats through Earth's history. In this contribution, we determined the REY concentrations and partition coefficients (Kd<sub>(stromatolite-fluid)</sub>) of sub-recent stromatolitic carbonates and ambient waters from the hypersaline Hamelin Pool in the Shark Bay lagoon, Australia. Shale-normalized REY patterns of stromatolite morphologies show (except colloform morphologies) a middle REY<sub>SN</sub> enrichment relative to the light and heavy REY<sub>SN</sub>. These signatures differ from those of seawater and ambient waters, suggesting that today's waters cannot be directly compared with stromatolitic carbonates from Shark Bay, which formed over thousands of years in a complex microbial mat system. Stromatolite morphologies such as colloform, smooth, or pustular structures formed in supratidal and intertidal environments exhibit the most variable Kd<sub>(stromatolite-fluid)</sub> values for the REY. The most dominant process affecting REY geochemistry in the Shark Bay stromatolites is most likely organic matter degradation and subsequent REY release into porewaters from which the carbonates formed in a (semi)closed microbial mat system. Cerebroid structures of the deepest lagoonal environment in the subtidal zone show the most constant Kd<sub>(stromatolite-fluid)</sub> values throughout the REY series, reflecting the least closed microbial mat system and a direct relationship between stromatolite morphology and water chemistry.</p>","PeriodicalId":173,"journal":{"name":"Geobiology","volume":"24 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/gbi.70055","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148209457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GeobiologyPub Date : 2026-06-08DOI: 10.1111/gbi.70054
Charlotte Spruzen, Malcolm W. Wallace, Maxwell A. Lechte, Ashleigh V. S. Hood, Brennan O'Connell, Galen P. Halverson
{"title":"Microbialite Diversity and Ocean Redox Geochemistry of the Late Tonian Callison Lake Formation","authors":"Charlotte Spruzen, Malcolm W. Wallace, Maxwell A. Lechte, Ashleigh V. S. Hood, Brennan O'Connell, Galen P. Halverson","doi":"10.1111/gbi.70054","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gbi.70054","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Microbialites provide a unique insight into ancient microbial processes and environments, but trends in the diversity of unlaminated microbialites remain poorly understood. The ca. 745 Ma Callison Lake Formation in the Yukon (northwest Canada) features a range of microbialites which are diverse at both the mesoscale and microscale. Four microbialite facies are recognised from the Ramp member of the Callison Lake Formation, all of which include framework structures with syn-depositional cavities. The thrombolite facies of the Callison Lake Formation is typified by exceptional preservation, with isopachous primary marine cements and distinct microclots that we suggest formed through early, mimetic carbonate precipitation. However, based on fine-scale textural relationships within the rock, we infer that the other microbialite textures were affected by diagenetic crystal growth, which reaffirms the importance of considering paragenetic history when describing and comparing ancient microbialites. The trace and rare earth element geochemistry of primary marine cements in the Callison Lake Formation microbialites suggests that the unit was deposited in a stratified, dominantly anoxic basin, with oxygenation above a very shallow chemocline. The relative depletion of chalcophile elements implies a euxinic depositional setting. This case study highlights the complexity of unlaminated microbialites and emphasises the need for detailed documentation of microbialites at multiple scales.</p>","PeriodicalId":173,"journal":{"name":"Geobiology","volume":"24 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/gbi.70054","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148196461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GeobiologyPub Date : 2026-05-01DOI: 10.1111/gbi.70047
Cheyenne Brokaw, Patrice Boyd, Aude Picard
{"title":"Membrane Vesicle Formation Removes Iron Sulfide Mineral Crusts From the Cell Surface of Growing Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria.","authors":"Cheyenne Brokaw, Patrice Boyd, Aude Picard","doi":"10.1111/gbi.70047","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gbi.70047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) drive the process of sulfate reduction in low-temperature sedimentary environments. Through the production of sulfide, they promote the formation of iron-sulfide (Fe-S) minerals when Fe(II) is available. The negative charge of the cell surface of bacteria can promote the binding of Fe(II), leading to the precipitation of Fe-S minerals at the surface of SRB when sulfide is released from cells. We evaluated interactions between Fe-S minerals and the surface of SRB using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in cultures of Maridesulfovibrio hydrothermalis AM13 grown with 4 mM of Fe(II) over 1 month of incubation. On average, 18% ± 10% of cells were encrusted in cultures collected during the exponential phase. Fe-S mineral deposition occurred at the surface of cells while cells were growing and producing sulfide in the presence of Fe(II), but mineral crusts were removed from most cells shortly after deposition. Cells removed crusts from their surface through the formation of membrane vesicles, which were apparently only produced during growth. Mineralized and non-mineralized membrane vesicles were preserved in mineral aggregates in stationary-phase cultures. On average, 17% ± 7% of cells were encrusted in cultures collected during the stationary phase, indicating that Fe-S minerals precipitated during the exponential phase and removed from the cell surface did not aggregate back onto cells. On the contrary, they formed large aggregates away from cells. When Fe-S mineral precipitation occurred in non-growing cell suspensions that were first exposed to Fe(II) then to sulfide, the proportion of encrusted cells increased to 95% ± 6%, indicating that resting or non-growing cells were not able to remove mineral crusts from their surface. The metabolic status of SRB therefore plays a role in their ability to escape Fe-S mineral entombment.</p>","PeriodicalId":173,"journal":{"name":"Geobiology","volume":"24 3","pages":"e70047"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13129620/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147758323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
GeobiologyPub Date : 2026-05-01DOI: 10.1111/gbi.70048
Olmo Miguez-Salas, Francisco J Rodríguez-Tovar, Victoriano Pujalte
{"title":"Paleoenvironmental Stasis for the Bioturbating Community During the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum at the Southern Iberian Margin.","authors":"Olmo Miguez-Salas, Francisco J Rodríguez-Tovar, Victoriano Pujalte","doi":"10.1111/gbi.70048","DOIUrl":"10.1111/gbi.70048","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>During the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), there was an increase in global temperatures and emissions of isotopically depleted carbon, resulting in a negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE). This climatic event caused a widespread ocean deoxygenation, leading to substantial biotic turnover. Previous ichnological studies of deep-sea environments have suggested that bioturbating communities perished or diminished considerably during this event. In this study, we present an ichnological analysis of a well-known deep-sea outcrop (Rio Gor section; lower bathyal-upper abyssal depth; 1000-2000 m) from the southern Iberian margin. Contrary to previous studies, at this location, the PETM onset did not result in the extinction of the bioturbating community. In fact, high abundances of trace fossils were recorded during the PETM, indicating favorable paleoenvironmental conditions for the community. We discuss how sedimentary and climatic dynamics played a key role in regulating trace fossil abundance throughout the PETM. The paleogeographical position and deep-water circulation of the area appear to have played a crucial role in preventing low-oxygen deep water masses and the impoverishment of the bioturbating community. Overall, our findings reveal the PETM's positive impact on the bioturbating community at the southern Iberian margin. Given the essential ecological functions of these organisms on the seafloor-such as nutrient recycling and sediment mixing-we emphasize their potential importance in future warmer ocean scenarios.</p>","PeriodicalId":173,"journal":{"name":"Geobiology","volume":"24 3","pages":"e70048"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13157246/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147863341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}