Linking Zetaproteobacterial diversity and substratum type in iron-rich microbial mats from the Lucky Strike hydrothermal field (EMSO-Azores observatory).

Zetaproteobacteria have been reported in different marine and terrestrial environments all over the globe. They play an essential role in marine iron-rich microbial mats, as one of their autotrophic primary producers, oxidizing Fe(II) and producing Fe-oxyhydroxides with different morphologies. Here, we study and compare the Zetaproteobacterial communities of iron-rich microbial mats from six different sites of the Lucky Strike Hydrothermal Field through the use of the Zetaproteobacterial operational taxonomic unit (ZetaOTU) classification.

Experimental degradation of helicoidal photonic nanostructures in scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): implications for the identification of circularly polarizing cuticle in the fossil record.

Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) can exhibit striking colours produced by pigments and/or nanostructures. The latter include helicoidal (Bouligand) structures that can generate circularly polarized light. These have a cryptic evolutionary history in part because fossil examples are unknown.