深海锰结核中螺旋状超微生物化石的发现及其意义

对东太平洋深海瘤状锰结核透射电的系统观察和分析表明，瘤状锰结核的包壳，即奇异叠层石的建造者米级的螺旋状微生物、螺旋状微生物体的菌落呈圆盘状至不规则分枝状，菌落主下陷，营养菌丝体呈辐射状从中央向周围生长，营养菌丝体的束宽度为１７－６０ｎｍ，呈双分叉。生殖菌丝体由粗细不等的螺旋状丝体组成。螺旋状丝体的宽度３－２５ｎｍ，长度为３６－２００ｎｍ。螺环宽度为２－４ｎｍ、螺旋状生殖丝体分太、孢囊呈球形，深陷于

DISCOVERY OF THE SPIRAL ULTRA-MICROFOSSILS IN PELAGIC MANGANESE NODULES AND THEIR SIGMFICANCE

The spiral ultra-microfossils have been discovered in the pelagic knobbly mansanese nodules from the East Pacific Ocean(Photo 1) with the help of transmission electron microscope JEM 200CX. It haS been revealed that the chain-like and the spiral ultra-microbes are the real builders of the stromatolite(admirabilis), i.e.the coatings of manganese nodules(Photo 2).The colony of the spiral microbes ate of disk-like or irregular morphology with a sunken center (Photo 3). The nutritive hypha and the reproductive hypha can be discriminated based on their morphology(Fig.1). The branching nutritive hypha grow from the center of colony to its periphery and the width of the hypha bundles is about 17-60nm.The spiral reproductive hypha is about 2-4nm in diameter(Photo 4,5, Fig.2).The screws formed by the spiral reproductive hypha are 3-25nm wide and 36-200nm long.The spheroidal sporangium of 9-50nm in diameter can be seen among the mycelium (Photo 6).The spheroidal spores of 4-6nm in diameter can be found in these cases.The authors propose setting up a new species Spirisosphaerospora paofica in the Actinomyces.The discovery of the ultra-microfossils has produced a direct evidence in support of biogenec formation of the manganese nodules.Some peculiar features of the pelagic manganese nodules,such as heterogeneity in mineral composition, poor crystallinity, special structure and texture,can be explained reasonably by the biogenic formation.The new ultra-microfossils as a large molecule will promote the research work on the origin and evolution of life.