DIAD-Dual Imaging and Diffraction Beamline
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Bruno
Becker-Kerber
,
Jochen J.
Brocks
,
Nathaly L.
Archilha
,
Cristiane B.
Rodella
,
Valeri
Petkov
,
Eduardo R.
Deazevedo
,
Tairine
Pimentel
,
Rodrigo
Garcia
,
Duane
Petts
,
Janina
Czas
,
Omid H.
Ardakani
,
Anthony
Chappaz
,
Ângela
Albuquerque
,
Javier
Ortega-Hernández
,
Rudy
Lerosey-Aubril
,
Michael A.
Kipp
,
Benjamin
Johnson
,
Mathieu
Thoury
,
Cecilia M. A.
Oliveira
,
Hannah H. L. S. M.
Pimentel
,
Raul O.
Freitas
,
Flavio C.
Vicentin
,
Luiz G. F.
Borges
,
Jonathan
Almer
,
Jun-Sang
Park
,
Carla C.
Polo
,
Gilmar
Kerber
,
Lucas
Del Mouro
,
Milene
Figueiredo
,
Gustavo M. E. M.
Prado
,
Sharif
Ahmed
,
Miguel A. S.
Basei
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[32319]
Open Access
Abstract: The origin of terrestrial life and ecosystems fundamentally changed the biosphere. Lichens, symbiotic fungi-algae partnerships, are crucial to nutrient cycling and carbon fixation today, yet their evolutionary history during the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems remains unclear due to a scarce fossil record. We demonstrate that the enigmatic Devonian fossil Spongiophyton from Brazil captures one of the earliest and most widespread records of lichens. The presence of internal hyphae networks, algal cells, possible reproductive structures, calcium oxalate pseudomorphs, abundant nitrogenous compounds, and fossil lipid composition confirms that it was among the first widespread representatives of lichenized fungi in Earth’s history. Spongiophyton abundance and wide paleogeographic distribution in Devonian successions reveal an ecologically prominent presence of lichens during the late stages of terrestrial colonization, just before the evolution of complex forest ecosystems.
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Oct 2025
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I08-1-Soft X-ray Ptychography
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Richard J.
Harrison
,
Jeffrey
Neethirajan
,
Zhaowen
Pei
,
Pengfei
Xue
,
Lourdes
Marcano
,
Radu
Abrudan
,
Emilie
Ringe
,
Po-Yen
Tung
,
Venkata S. C.
Kuppili
,
Burkhard
Kaulich
,
Benedikt J.
Daurer
,
Luis Carlos
Colocho Hurtarte
,
Majid
Kazemian
,
Liao
Chang
,
Claire
Donnelly
,
Sergio
Valencia
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[33254]
Open Access
Abstract: Giant magnetofossils are unusual, micron-sized biogenic magnetite particles found in sediments dating back at least 97 million years. Their distinctive morphologies are the product of biologically controlled mineralisation, yet the identity of their biomineralising organism, and the biological function they serve, remain a mystery. It is currently thought that the organism exploited magnetite’s mechanical properties for protection. Here we explore an alternative hypothesis, that it exploited magnetite’s magnetic properties for the purpose of magnetoreception. We present a three-dimensional magnetic vector tomography study of a giant magnetofossil and assess its magnetoreceptive potential. Our results reveal a single magnetic vortex that displays an optimised response to spatial variations in the intensity of Earth’s magnetic field. This magnetic trait may have conferred an evolutionary advantage to mobile marine organisms, providing an upper age limit on the development of navigational magnetoreception and raising the possibility that earlier evidence of this sense may yet be preserved in the fossil record. More broadly, this work provides a blueprint for assessing the morphological and magnetic evidence for putative biogenic iron oxide particles, which are a key component in the search for early life on Earth and Mars.
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Oct 2025
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I12-JEEP: Joint Engineering, Environmental and Processing
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[40234]
Open Access
Abstract: The Lepidosauria is the most species-rich group of land-dwelling vertebrates. The group includes around 12,000 species of lizards and snakes (Squamata) and one species of Rhynchocephalia, the tuatara Sphenodon punctatus from New Zealand1. Squamates owe their success to their generally small size, but also to their highly mobile skull that enables them to manipulate large prey. These key features of lizard and snake skulls are not seen in Sphenodon, which makes it important to understand the nature of their common ancestor. Lepidosaurs originated in the Triassic 252–201 million years ago, but confusion has arisen because of incomplete fossils, many of which are generalized lepidosauromorphs, neither squamates nor rhynchocephalians2,3,4,5. Here we report a reasonably complete skull and skeleton of a definitive rhynchocephalian from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) Helsby Sandstone Formation of Devon, UK that is around 3–7 million years older than the oldest currently known lepidosaur. The new species shows, as predicted, a non-mobile skull but an open lower temporal bar and no large palatine teeth, and it seems to have been a specialized feeder on insects. This specimen helps us understand the initial diversification of Lepidosauria as part of the Triassic Revolution, when modern-style terrestrial ecosystems emerged.
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Sep 2025
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I12-JEEP: Joint Engineering, Environmental and Processing
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Johan
Lindgren
,
Dean R.
Lomax
,
Robert-Zoltán
Szász
,
Miguel
Marx
,
Johan
Revstedt
,
Georg
Göltz
,
Sven
Sachs
,
Randolph G.
De La Garza
,
Miriam
Heingård
,
Martin
Jarenmark
,
Kristina
Ydström
,
Peter
Sjövall
,
Frank
Osbæck
,
Stephen A.
Hall
,
Michiel
Op De Beeck
,
Mats E.
Eriksson
,
Carl
Alwmark
,
Federica
Marone
,
Alexander
Liptak
,
Robert
Atwood
,
Genoveva
Burca
,
Per
Uvdal
,
Per
Persson
,
Dan-Eric
Nilsson
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[33954]
Open Access
Abstract: With their superficially shark-like appearance, the Mesozoic ichthyosaurs provide a classic illustration of major morphological adaptations in an ancestrally terrestrial tetrapod lineage following the invasion of marine habitats1,2,3. Much of what is known about ichthyosaur soft tissues derives from specimens with body outlines4,5,6. However, despite offering insights into aspects of biology that are otherwise difficult to envisage from skeletal evidence alone (such as the presence of a crescentic fluke), information on their soft parts has hitherto been limited to a taxonomically narrow sample of small- to dolphin-sized animals2,4,5,6. Here we report the discovery of a metre-long front flipper of the large-bodied Jurassic ichthyosaur Temnodontosaurus, including unique details of its soft-tissue anatomy. In addition to revealing a wing-like planform, the fossil preserves a serrated trailing edge that is reinforced by novel cartilaginous integumental elements, herein denominated chondroderms. We also document chordwise-parallel skin ornamentations and a protracted fleshy distal tip that presumably acted like a flexible winglet in life. By integrating morphological and numerical data, we show that the observed features probably provided hydroacoustic benefits, and conclude that the visually guided7,8 Temnodontosaurus relied on stealth while hunting in dim-lit pelagic environments. This unexpected combination of control surface modifications represents a previously unrecognized mode of concealment, and underscores the importance of soft-tissue fossils when inferring aspects of palaeoethology and predator–prey palaeoecology.
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Jul 2025
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DIAD-Dual Imaging and Diffraction Beamline
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[32319]
Open Access
Abstract: The evolutionary onset of animal biomineralization in the late Ediacaran (ca 555–538 Ma) is marked by the global appearance of enigmatic tubular fossils with unresolved phylogenetic relationships. Among these, Corumbella werneri from the Tamengo Formation (Corumbá Group, Brazil) has been variously interpreted as affiliated with cnidarians or bilaterians. Using synchrotron imaging and machine learning, we analysed new specimens of C. werneri to reconstruct their original skeletal organization. Our findings reveal that Corumbella’s tubes were originally conico-cylindrical. Large individuals of Corumbella, including less compacted specimens, and compression experiments with modern annelid tubes all indicate that previous reconstructions of a quadrate outline and midline features were misled by taphonomic artefacts. We also show that the wall of Corumbella is composed of a single layer of ring-shaped elements. Unlike the fourfold symmetry of scyphozoans or the complex cataphract-like structures of Cambrian bilaterians (e.g. halkieriids, tommotiids and wiwaxiids), Corumbella displays structural similarities with other late Ediacaran corumbellomorphs, such as Costatubus. These taxa exhibit a distinctive barrel-on-barrel tube construction, with modular elements stacked on each other rather than nested. Our findings redefine Corumbella’s morphology and phylogenetic affinities, contributing to a broader understanding of early biomineralizing metazoans and their ecological roles in the Ediacaran biosphere.
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May 2025
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Open Access
Abstract: The Chicxulub asteroid that ended the Cretaceous Era ∼66.05 million years ago caused a prolonged time of global darkness – the impact winter – leading to mass extinctions. Elements from the asteroid, including the platinum group elements (PGEs) osmium, iridium and platinum are known from the globally distributed boundary clay but their carrier elements have so far been unknown. We identify, for the first time in detail, the presence of these PGEs within Chicxulub impact spherules and importantly, we identify their carrier elements. We show through synchrotron Nano-XRF how these PGEs occur in nanostructures as un-ordered cube- and/or needle-like crystals co-localizing with both siderophile and chalcophile elements including Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb, derived from the asteroid. These crystals are set within a matrix of iron-rich calcium and silica glass revealing the mix of vaporized target rock and the asteroid. The results provide insights into the combination of elements present in the spherules, indicating formation of new minerals. We argue that the nano-shards of unreactive elements such as platinum, iridium and copper acted as nuclei for aerosol formation and potentially contributed to a prolonged impact winter with darkness and cooling leading to a profound and long-term climate change.
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Dec 2024
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I08-Scanning X-ray Microscopy beamline (SXM)
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[14784]
Open Access
Abstract: Silicified peritidal carbonates of the Tonian Draken Formation, Spitsbergen, contain highly diverse and well-preserved microfossil assemblages dominated by filamentous microbial mats, but also including diverse benthic and/or allochthonous (possibly planktonic) microorganisms. Here, we characterize eight morphospecies in focused ion beam (FIB) ultrathin sections using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectromicroscopy. Raman and XANES spectroscopies show the highly aromatic molecular structure of preserved organic matter. Despite this apparently poor molecular preservation, nano-quartz crystallization allowed for the preservation of various ultrastructures distinguished in TEM. In some filamentous microfossils (Siphonophycus) as well as in all cyanobacterial coccoids, extracellular polysaccharide sheaths appear as bands of dispersed organic nanoparticles. Synodophycus microfossils, made up of pluricellular colonies of coccoids, contain organic walls similar to the F-layers of pleurocapsalean cyanobacteria. In some fossils, internal content occurs as particulate organic matter, forming dense networks throughout ghosts of the intracellular space (e.g., in Salome svalbardensis filaments), or scarce granules (in some Chroococcales). In some chroococcalean microfossils (Gloeodiniopsis mikros, and also possibly Polybessurus), we find layered internal contents that are more continuous than nanoparticulate bands defining the sheaths, and with a shape that can be contracted, folded, or invaginated. We interpret these internal layers as the remains of cell envelope substructures and/or photosynthetic membranes thickened by additional cellular material. Some Myxococccoides show a thick (up to ~ 0.9 μm) wall ultrastructure displaying organic pillars that is best reconciled with a eukaryotic affinity. Finally, a large spheroid with ruptured wall, of uncertain affinity, displays a bi-layered envelope. Altogether, our nanoscale investigations provide unprecedented insights into the taphonomy and taxonomy of this well-preserved assemblage, which can help to assess the nature of organic microstructures in older rocks.
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Nov 2024
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15461]
Open Access
Abstract: The Cambrian radiation of euarthropods can be attributed to an adaptable body plan. Sophisticated brains and specialized feeding appendages, which are elaborations of serially repeated organ systems and jointed appendages, underpin the dominance of Euarthropoda in a broad suite of ecological settings. The origin of the euarthropod body plan from a grade of vermiform taxa with hydrostatic lobopodous appendages (‘lobopodian worms’)1,2 is founded on data from Burgess Shale-type fossils. However, the compaction associated with such preservation obscures internal anatomy3,4,5,6. Phosphatized microfossils provide a complementary three-dimensional perspective on early crown group euarthropods7, but few lobopodians8,9. Here we describe the internal and external anatomy of a three-dimensionally preserved euarthropod larva with lobopods, midgut glands and a sophisticated head. The architecture of the nervous system informs the early configuration of the euarthropod brain and its associated appendages and sensory organs, clarifying homologies across Panarthropoda. The deep evolutionary position of Youti yuanshi gen. et sp. nov. informs the sequence of character acquisition during arthropod evolution, demonstrating a deep origin of sophisticated haemolymph circulatory systems, and illuminating the internal anatomical changes that propelled the rise and diversification of this enduringly successful group.
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Jul 2024
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B16-Test Beamline
I18-Microfocus Spectroscopy
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Aaron R. H.
Leblanc
,
Alexander P.
Morrell
,
Slobodan
Sirovica
,
Maisoon
Al-Jawad
,
David
Labonte
,
Domenic C.
D’amore
,
Christofer
Clemente
,
Siyang
Wang
,
Finn
Giuliani
,
Catriona M.
Mcgilvery
,
Michael
Pittman
,
Thomas G.
Kaye
,
Colin
Stevenson
,
Joe
Capon
,
Benjamin
Tapley
,
Simon
Spiro
,
Owen
Addison
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[22284, 26050]
Open Access
Abstract: Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are the largest extant predatory lizards and their ziphodont (serrated, curved and blade-shaped) teeth make them valuable analogues for studying tooth structure, function and comparing with extinct ziphodont taxa, such as theropod dinosaurs. Like other ziphodont reptiles, V. komodoensis teeth possess only a thin coating of enamel that is nevertheless able to cope with the demands of their puncture–pull feeding. Using advanced chemical and structural imaging, we reveal that V. komodoensis teeth possess a unique adaptation for maintaining their cutting edges: orange, iron-enriched coatings on their tooth serrations and tips. Comparisons with other extant varanids and crocodylians revealed that iron sequestration is probably widespread in reptile enamels but it is most striking in V. komodoensis and closely related ziphodont species, suggesting a crucial role in supporting serrated teeth. Unfortunately, fossilization confounds our ability to consistently detect similar iron coatings in fossil teeth, including those of ziphodont dinosaurs. However, unlike V. komodoensis, some theropods possessed specialized enamel along their tooth serrations, resembling the wavy enamel found in herbivorous hadrosaurid dinosaurs. These discoveries illustrate unexpected and disparate specializations for maintaining ziphodont teeth in predatory reptiles.
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Jul 2024
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I13-2-Diamond Manchester Imaging
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Abstract: The evolution of the first plant dominated terrestrial ecosystems some ∼450 million years ago [1, 2] had a profound effect on the soil development, shifts in fluvial sedimentary environments through diverse below-ground stabilization strategies [3, 4], and changes in global biogeochemical cycles, notably drawdown of CO2 from the atmosphere [5, 6]. In some part these shifts were due to biologically mediated weathering of soil grains. Cryptogamic Ground Covers (CGCs) serve as modern analogous examples of these early plant ecosystems, and are composed of a varied assortment of bryophyte plants (liverworts, hornworts, mosses), fungi, cyanobacteria, lichens, and algae. Importantly, these can be studied to understand the nano-to-macro scale weathering processes that are occurring within CGCs, with a view to understanding better the processes that might have been occurring in the geologic past and that are missing from the sedimentological/fossil record. Some of these processes include nutrient acquisition from grains by symbiotic (and other) organisms, such as mycorrhizal fungi. Many features have been identified in modern examples, including direct interactions (e.g., tunnel formation due to biomechanical forcing and mining) and indirect interactions (e.g., biological secretions, exudates, and root- and soil gas- mediated dissolution) [7, 8]. However, the majority of these are from conventional 2D observations of thin sections using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy and fail to consider the whole feature in 3D.
Here, we use a combination of 3D X-ray Microscopy (XRM) and synchrotron X-ray microtomography (sr-µCT) to better understand the structure of said tunnel features in 3D, with a view to characterizing their morphology, and interpreting their origin. We use a multi-scale imaging approach on basaltic agglomerate and rhyolite regolith grain types to better understand the features, and compare the fully rendered 3D features with those in 2D ‘digital thin sections’ (or the slices reconstructed from the 3D data). These results will not only aid in recognizing analogous features in the fossil record, but potentially also in sample return missions from extraterrestrial bodies.
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Jul 2024
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