Anders Meibom

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used scanning electron microscopy and high spatial resolution ion microprobe depth-profiling to image the full three-dimensional distribution of organic materials around individual tablets in the top-most layer of forming nacre in bivalves.

TL;DR: It is shown that a well-preserved fossil coral from the Upper Cretaceous has preserved skeletal structural features identical to those observed in present-day scleractinians, which implies that corals, like other groups of marine, calcium carbonate–producing organisms, can form skeletons of different carbonate polymorphs.

TL;DR: It is shown that a suite of exceptionally preserved coral skeletons from Antalya (Turkey) have microstructures, carbonate 13C/12C and 18O/16O, and intracrystalline skeletal organic matter 15N/14N all indicating symbiosis, which suggests coral-dinoflagellate symbiosis was likely a key driver in the evolution and expansion of shallow-water scleractinians.

TL;DR: It is argued that the microstructures in the Farrel Quartzite comprise a diverse assemblage of Archean microfossils, adding to a growing body of geochemical, stromatolitic, and morphological evidence that indicates the Archean biosphere was varied and well established by at least approximately 3 Ga.

TL;DR: Combined measurements of growth rate and skeletal ultrastructural increments suggest that azooxanthellate shallow-water corals produce well-defined daily growth steps.