Archaeomonad (Chrysophyta) cysts: ecological and paleoecological significance.
Archaeomonads are chrysophyte cysts abundant in Weddell Sea sea ice, but they form in the water column in response to conditions that occur in areas where no sea ice is present. The association between archaeomonads and sea ice depends on a particular sequence of oceanographic conditions, beginning with lateral advection followed by vertical harvesting on rising ice crystals. Comparing fossil and modern distributions suggests archaeomonads underwent an ecological transition or expansion in the Early Tertiary Period, from sediment underlying anoxic waters to sediments underlying sea ice.
D004463:Ecology; D056890:Eukaryota; D007053:Ice; D010163:Paleontology; D012623:Seawater
D007053:Ice