Cell habitat: New research project funded by the German Research Foundation with 200,000 euros
Almost 4 billion years ago, microorganisms were the first life forms on earth. Whether in rotten wood, in hot springs or in the intestines - today there is hardly an area where they are not to be found. Without their presence, the "big" organism would not be viable. A new research project at the Museum für Naturkunde will shed light on how the interplay between large and small organisms developed in the geological past. The work focusses on three-dimensionally cellularly preserved fossil tree fern stems from the earliest Permian period around 298 million years ago from Manebach/Thuringia. The material to be studied is very promising, as new methods of investigation have recently revealed a microbial diversity in the fossilised plant tissues that is unprecedented for this geological period. Fungal networks within the cells, parasites and growing plants prove that tree ferns have represented their own ecosystems for millions of years.
A broad spectrum of field work, microscopic and laboratory methods of investigation await Steffen Trümper, the scientist working on the project. He will clarify the age of the fossil stems and the climatic and geological circumstances that led to this extraordinary preservation. He will also be researching the interactions between early Permian microorganisms and plants.
The results will provide crucial information for the discovery of fossil micro-ecosystems. This is important in order to gain a more complete picture of the diversity of life and its changes over the course of the Earth's history. The new findings also allow conclusions to be drawn about how microorganisms have influenced evolutionary processes.
The research project, which was launched in January, is being funded by the German Research Foundation for three years to the tune of 200,000 euros. It is being carried out in Chemnitz in cooperation with the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Prof Dr Michael Krings, LMU Munich).