Active microbial ecosystem in Iron-Age tombs of the Etruscan civilization.

Environmental Microbiology
Angela CiriglianoTeresa Rinaldi

Abstract

Earth's microbial biosphere extends down through the crust and much of the subsurface, including those microbial ecosystems located within cave systems. Here, we elucidate the microbial ecosystems within anthropogenic 'caves'; the Iron-Age, subterranean tombs of central Italy. The interior walls of the rock (calcium-rich macco) were painted ~2500 years ago and are covered with CaCO3 needles (known as moonmilk). The aims of the current study were to: identify biological/geochemical/biophysical determinants of and characterize bacterial communities involved in CaCO3 precipitation; challenge the maxim that biogenic activity necessarily degrades surfaces; locate the bacterial cells that are the source of the CaCO3 precipitate; and gain insight into the kinetics of moonmilk formation. We reveal that this environment hosts communities that consist primarily of bacteria that are mesophilic for temperature and xerotolerance (including Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria); is populated by photosynthetic Cyanobacteria exhibiting heterotrophic nutrition (Calothrix and Chroococcidiopsis); and has CaCO3 precipitating on the rock surfaces (confirmation that this process is biogenic) that acts to preserve rather than damage the p...Continue Reading

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Citations

Apr 6, 2021·Environmental Microbiology·John E HallsworthMichael T Madigan

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