Affiliation: | (1) Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100029 Beijing, China;(2) Institute for Rock Magnetism, University of Minnesota, 55455 Minneapolis, MN, USA;(3) Institute of Geophysics, Ludwig-Maximillians-University, D-80333 Munich, Germany |
Abstract: | Magnetosomes of magnetotactic bacteria are of great interest in understanding biomineralization and possi- ble links between organisms and geomagnetic field. Fossil magnetosomes are ubiquitous in marine and lake sediments and may significantly contribute to magnetic signals. In this review, we firstly introduce some characteristics of magneto- tactic bacteria, followed by considering recent progress in magnetosome formation, magnetic measurements, and iden- tification of bacterial magnetites in bulk sediments as well as their paleoenvironmental implications. Finally, we briefly discuss potential future breakthroughs in magnetosome studies and its applications. |