Composition, Diversity and Functional Analysis of the Modern Microbiome of the Middle Triassic Cava Superiore Beds (Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland)

A significant difference was found between microbial communities in bituminous shales and limestone strata from the Middle Triassic Cava Superiore Beds at Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland. The study used contig assembly, OTU clustering, and rarefaction analysis to reveal this distinction, highlighting the unique substrate provided by thermally immature organic compounds in these fossil-rich deposits. Metagenomic tools further showed that nutrient-rich media drastically reduced microbial diversity, favoring Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, while oligotrophic media sustained high diversity. The findings suggest that Monte San Giorgio's bituminous shales and enriched microbiomes are capable of degrading complex polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Arif, S., Reitner, J., & Hoppert, M. (2019). Composition, Diversity and Functional Analysis of the Modern Microbiome of the Middle Triassic Cava Superiore Beds (Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland). Scientific Reports, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-55955-5