TITLE:
Epiphytic Diatom Communities on Sub-Fossil Leaves of Posidonia oceanica Delile in the Graeco-Roman Harbor of Neapolis: A Tool to Explore the Past
AUTHORS:
Paola Cennamo, Paolo Caputo, Mario De Stefano, Elda Russo Ermolli, Maria Rosaria Barone Lumaga
KEYWORDS:
Posidonia oceanica; Epiphytic Communities; Ancient DNA
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.5 No.5,
March
7,
2014
ABSTRACT:
The Graeco-Roman harbor of Neapolis (Naples, Italy),
chronologically constrained between the late 4th century BC and the 6th century
AD, offers a unique sight on relationship between past and present into the
history of the marine biodiversity. In fact, the digs expose fossil leaf of Posidonia oceanica with epiphytic communities of microorganisms. Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass endemic
to theMediterraneanthat forms large meadows whose
remains can persist in the sediment for thousands of years. In this
communication, we report results of analyses carried out using both molecular
and morphological techniques on sub-fossil leaves of P. oceanica and their associated epiphytic communities.