Sprecher
Beschreibung
Dinoflagellates play a key role in marine ecosystems and are known for producing organic-walled cysts (dinocysts), which are valuable for reconstructing paleoceanic and climatic variability. Analyses using Attenuated Total Reflection Micro–Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR–micro FTIR) have identified the molecular structure of dinosporin, the primary constituent of the dinocyst wall. Dinosporin is a stable, carbohydrate-based biomacromolecule that may exhibit variable contributions from certain functional groups (Meyvisch et al., 2023).
Recently, we assessed the compositional stability of dinosporin during early diagenetic processes associated with the fossilization of modern dinocysts fossilization of modern dinocysts, across shallow to deep-marine settings spanning the Upper Pleistocene to Holocene. Our findings demonstrate that dinosporin remains largely unaltered, reiterating its remarkable biomolecular stability. However, the integrity of dinosporin under extreme climatic perturbations remains poorly constrained.
Therefore, we are investigating the response of dinocyst wall chemistry to global warming by combining experimental and paleontological approaches. Cultures of living dinoflagellates are subjected to controlled environmental stressors analogous to major geological events, namely the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (~56 Ma) and the Late Maastrichtian Warming Event (~66 Ma). In parallel, fossilized dinocysts from these intervals will be analysed.
A combination of spectrochemical techniques, including ATR–micro FTIR, and mass spectrometric methods will be employed to characterize molecular modifications, trace-element incorporation, and adaptive responses in cyst wall chemistry. Integrating experimental and fossil evidence will improve our understanding of dinocyst resilience to rapid climate change and contribute to the development of novel biomarkers for reconstructing past and future environmental variability.