The Jehol and Yanliao biotas of northern China, two world‐class Lagerstätten with abundant biomass and biodiversity, provide critical clues to Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems. Their evolution is a ...response to the destruction of the North China craton. However, the impetus for the rapid bloom of the biotas remains a mystery. Mesozoic large‐scale volcanic‐sedimentary strata in northern China are rich in terrestrial organisms. Statistical analyses show that volcanic nutrient element delivery, biomass, and biodiversity in these stratigraphic sequences increase synchronously, while harmful elements have the opposite change with them. These observations reveal the coevolutionary relationship between volcanism and terrestrial biotas. The increased nutrient element supply and inhibited harmful element delivery to terrestrial ecosystems from the voluminous volcanic products, produced under the geodynamic regime of paleo‐Pacific subduction and cratonic destruction, could create a conducive environment for the biodiversity and high prosperity of Mesozoic terrestrial biotas.
Plain Language Summary
The weathering of volcanic products can quickly provide material supply for ecosystems, including nutrient and harmful elements. The availability of these elements in volcanic‐sedimentary sequences can provide key evidence for the intrinsic relations between volcanism and terrestrial biological evolution. Through statistically‐based big data analyses, we determine the changes in nutrient/harmful element delivery, biomass, and vertebrate and entomic diversity of the Mesozoic fossil‐bearing volcanic‐sedimentary strata in northern China. Excluding the interference of pyroclastic flows on the fossil records, the results reveal the significant contributions of elevated volcanic nutrient supply to the flourishing of the Jehol and Yanliao biotas. Meanwhile, the inhibited release of harmful elements has limited impacts on the biotas. This study opens a new path for multidisciplinary investigations to explore the feedback relationship among regional tectonics, volcanism, and terrestrial biotas.
Key Points
Mesozoic terrestrial biotas in northern China coevolved with volcanism during the paleo‐Pacific subduction and cratonic destruction
The increasing supply of volcanic nutrients promoted the flourishing of the Jehol and Yanliao biotas
Inhibited volcanic toxic delivery facilitated the rapid bloom of the terrestrial biotas
The Changbai (or Baitoushan, Paektu) volcano on the China/North Korea border is best known for its climactic caldera-forming eruption of 100km3 of comendite materials 1000years (1ka) ago. The ...polygenetic Changbai volcano also erupted moderate-volume pre-caldera comendite lava at ~4ka and small-volume post-caldera trachyte ignimbrite at ~0.3ka. Here we report 238U–230Th disequilibrium ages of zircons from lavas and ignimbrites of the pre-caldera (~4ka), syn-caldera (1ka), and post-caldera (~0.3ka) events. The zircon isochron ages are 12.2±1.1ka (2σ) for the 4-ka comendite lava and 12.2±1.7ka for the 1-ka comendite ignimbrite. Zircons from the 0.3-ka trachyte ignimbrite exhibit 3 respective peaks at 2.6±1.8ka, 130±10ka and >230ka. The indistinguishable zircon ages for the 4-ka pre-caldera eruption of comendite lava and the 1-ka caldera-forming eruption of comendite pumice and ignimbrite suggest that the 4-ka lava provides an early sampling of a much larger magma body at depth and thus serves as a kind of petrologic early-warning signal. In addition, the 4-ka lava may represent the lowest-temperature magma in the roof zone of a thermally zoned magma chamber that usually escapes first. The distinctive multi-modal zircon age distributions of the 0.3-ka trachytic eruption, however, reveal that this post-caldera eruption tapped a different magma body and indicate that Changbai's magmatic plumbing system had changed after the 1-ka caldera-forming climactic eruption. Our results suggest very short zircon and magma residence times for the Changbai volcano (8kyr for the 4-ka eruption, 11–12kyr for the 1-ka eruption and 2.3kyr for the 0.3-ka eruption).
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•Pre-caldera 4-ka eruption and syn-caldera 1-ka eruption have zircon ages of 12ka.•4-ka lava provides an early sampling of a larger magma body and an early-warning.•Zircon ages from post-caldera 0.3-ka eruption are different from earlier eruptions.•Magma plumbing system changed after the 1-ka caldera-forming explosive eruption.•Magma residence times are short (2–11thousandyears) for all 3 eruptions.
Bile acids (BAs) are well known to facilitate the absorption of dietary fat and fat-soluble molecules. These unique steroids also function by binding to the ubiquitous cell membranes and nuclear ...receptors. As chemical signals in gut-liver axis, the presence of metabolic disorders such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and even tumors have been reported to be closely related to abnormal levels of BAs in the blood and fecal metabolites of patients. Thus, the gut microbiota interacting with BAs and altering BA metabolism are critical in the pathogenesis of numerous chronic diseases. This review intends to summarize the mechanistic links between metabolic disorders and BAs in gut-liver axis, and such stage-specific BA perturbation patterns may provide clues for developing new auxiliary diagnostic means.
As the precursor of vitamin A, β-carotene has a positive effect on reproductive performance. Our previous study has shown that β-carotene can increase antioxidant enzyme activity potentially through ...regulating gut microbiota in pregnant sows. This study aimed to clarify the effect of β-carotene on reproductive performance and postpartum uterine recovery from the aspect of inflammation and gut microbiota by using a mouse model. Twenty-seven 6 weeks old female Kunming mice were randomly assigned into 3 groups (n=9), and fed with a diet containing 0, 30 or 90 mg/kg β-carotene, respectively. The results showed that dietary supplementation of β-carotene reduced postpartum uterine hyperemia and uterine mass index (
<0.05), improved intestinal villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio, decreased serum TNF-α and IL-4 concentration (
<0.05), while no differences were observed in litter size and litter weight among three treatments. Characterization of gut microbiota revealed that β-carotene up-regulated the relative abundance of genera
,
and
, but down-regulated the relative abundance of
and
. Correlation analysis revealed that
was negatively correlated with the IL-4 concentration, while
and
had a negative linear correlation with both TNF-α and IL-4 concentration. On the other hand,
was positively correlated with the TNF-α, and
had a positive correlation with both TNF-α and IL-4 concentration. These data demonstrated that dietary supplementation of β-carotene contributes to postpartum uterine recovery by decreasing postpartum uterine hemorrhage and inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines potentially through modulating gut microbiota.
To constrain the behavior of Mg isotopes during deep crustal processes and the Mg isotopic composition of the middle and lower continental crust, 30 composite samples from high-grade metamorphic ...terranes and 18 granulite xenoliths were investigated. The composites derive from eight different high-grade metamorphic terranes in the two largest Archean cratons of China, including 13 TTG gneisses, 5 amphibolites, 4 felsic, 4 intermediate, and 4 mafic granulites. They have variable bulk compositions with SiO2 ranging from 45.7 to 72.5%, representative of the middle crust beneath eastern China. The δ26Mg values of these samples vary from -0.40 to +0.12 ppm, reflecting heterogeneity of their protoliths, which could involve upper crustal sediments. The granulite xenoliths from the Cenozoic Hannuoba basalts also have a diversity of compositions with MgO ranging from 2.95 to 20.2%. These xenoliths equilibrated under high temperatures of 800-950°C, corresponding to depths of the lower continental crust (>30 km). They yield a large δ26Mg variation of -0.76 to -0.24 ppm. The light Mg isotopic compositions likely result from interactions with isotopically light metamorphic fluids, probably carbonate fluids. Together with previously reported data, the average δ26Mg values of the middle and lower continental crusts are estimated to be -0.21±0.07 ppm and -0.26±0.06 ppm, respectively. The bulk continental crust is estimated to have an average δ26Mg of -0.24±0.07 ppm, which is similar to the average of the mantle. The large Mg isotopic variation in the continental crust reflects the combination of several processes, such as continental weathering, involvement of supracrustal materials in the deep crust, and fluid metasomatism.
A biphasic feeding regimen exerts an improvement effect on feed efficiency of pigs. While gut microbiome and metabolome are known to affect the host phenotype, so far the effects of reduced feeding ...frequency on fecal microbiota and their metabolism in pigs remain unclear. Here, the combination of 16S rRNA sequencing technique as well as untargeted and targeted metabolome analyses was adopted to investigate the fecal microbiome and metabolome of growing–finishing pigs in response to a biphasic feeding two meals per day (M2) pattern. Sixty crossbred barrows were randomly assigned into two groups with 10 replicates (three pigs/pen), namely, the free-access feeding group (FA) and the M2 group. Pigs in the FA group were fed free access while those in the M2 group were fed
ad libitum
twice daily for 1 h at 8:00 and 18:00. Results showed that pigs fed biphasically exhibited increased feed efficiency compared to FA pigs. The Shannon and Simpson indexes were significantly increased by reducing the feeding frequency. In the biphasic-fed pigs, the relative abundances of
Subdoligranulum
,
Roseburia
,
Mitsuokella
, and
Terrisporobacter
were significantly increased while the relative abundances of
unidentified_Spirochaetaceae
,
Methanobrevibacter
,
unidentified_Bacteroidales
,
Alloprevotella
,
Parabacteroides
, and
Bacteroides
were significantly decreased compared to FA pigs. Partial least-square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) analysis revealed an obvious variation between the FA and M2 groups; the differential features were mainly involved in arginine, proline, glycine, serine, threonine, and tryptophan metabolism as well as primary bile acid (BA) biosynthesis. In addition, the changes in the microbial genera were correlated with the differential fecal metabolites. A biphasic feeding regimen significantly increased the abundances of primary BAs and secondary BAs in feces of pigs, and the differentially enriched BAs were positively correlated with some specific genera. Taken together, these results suggest that the improvement effect of a reduced feeding frequency on feed efficiency of pigs might be associated with the altered fecal microbial composition and fecal metabolite profile in particular the enlarged stool BA pool.
The Middle‒Late Mesozoic massive volcanism formed a considerable thickness of volcanic‐sedimentary strata in western Liaoning, northern China. Concomitantly, it elevated phosphorus (P) availability ...for the rapid bloom of the terrestrial Yanliao and Jehol biotas, which developed highly abundant biodiversity and biomass. Hence, systematic tectonic and geochemical analyses of these volcanic‐sedimentary sequences with a significant P fluctuation would advance our understanding of the coevolutionary relationship between terrestrial biotas and regional tectonics. Here, we show that the secular variation of P availability in the Mesozoic volcanic rocks were the immediate results of the changes in volcanic intensity and lithospheric thickness controlled by the geological background of the cratonic destruction resulting from the paleo‐Pacific plate subduction. This study reveals the constraint effect of regional tectonics on the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems through the volcanism and P cycle.
Plain Language Summary
The phosphorus (P) is necessary for biotas and mainly comes from volcanics in areas dominated by volcanism closely related to deep‐Earth processes. Thus, the origin of P changes in volcanics can provide key evidence for the intrinsic relations between deep processes and biota evolution. Here, we present tectonic and geochemical analyses for the Mesozoic fossil‐bearing volcanic‐sedimentary strata in northern China. The westward subduction of the paleo‐Pacific plate triggered the crustal thickening and subsequent lithospheric thinning of the East Asia continent. These dynamic processes controlled the volcanic intensity and P variation, resulting in remarkable changes in P availability that led to the rise and fall of terrestrial biotas. Hence, P variations in volcanic sequences reveal the linkage between regional tectonics and biota evolution. This study represents an effort to explore how tectonic processes constrained terrestrial biotas involving multidisciplinary methods.
Key Points
The paleo‐Pacific subduction triggered the cratonic destruction and thus controlled the intensity of volcanism in the Middle‒Late Mesozoic
The change of lithospheric thickness triggered by the paleo‐Pacific subduction caused the variation of P content in the volcanics
Regional tectonics could impact the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems through the volcanism and nutrient P cycle
This study aimed to evaluate the individual and combined effects of chemically protected sodium butyrate (CSB) and xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS) on performance, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ...capacity, intestinal morphology and microbiota of broilers. A total of 280 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly distributed into 5 treatments: basal diet (CON), basal diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg aureomycin and 8 mg/kg enramycin (ABX), 1000 mg/kg CSB (CSB), 100 mg/kg XOS (XOS), and mixture of 1000 mg/kg CSB and 100 mg/kg XOS (MIX), respectively. On d 21, ABX, CSB, and MIX decreased feed conversion ratio compared with CON (CON: ABX: CSB: MIX = 1.29: 1.22: 1.22: 1.22), whereas body weight of CSB and MIX was increased by 6.00% and 7.93%, and average daily gain was increased by 6.62% and 8.67% at 1-21 d, respectively (P < 0.05). The main effect analysis showed that both CSB and XOS treatments increased ileal villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio (VCR) (P < 0.05). Moreover, broilers in ABX showed lower 21.39% ileal crypt depth and higher 31.43% VCR than those in CON (P < 0.05). Dietary CSB and XOS were added individually or collectively increased total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase, and anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-β, whereas decreased malondialdehyde, and proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α content in serum (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, MIX showed the best effect of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity among the 5 groups (P < 0.05). There was an interaction between CSB and XOS treatments on increasing cecal acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) (P < 0.05), and the one-way ANOVA showed that propionic acid in CSB was 1.54 times that of CON, whereas butyric acid and total SCFAs in XOS were 1.22 times and 1.28 times that of CON, respectively (P < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary combination of CSB and XOS changed phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidota, and increased genera Romboutsia and Bacteroides (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary CSB and XOS improved growth performance of broilers, and the combined addition of them had the best effect on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity, and intestinal homeostasis of broilers in current study, indicating that it may be a potential natural alternative to antibiotics.
Infants and young animals often suffer from intestinal damage caused by oxidative stress, which may adversely affect their overall health. Hydroxytyrosol, a plant polyphenol, has shown potential in ...decreasing intestinal oxidative stress, but its application and mechanism of action in infants and young animals are still inadequately documented. This study selected piglets as a model to investigate the alleviating effects of hydroxytyrosol on intestinal oxidative stress induced by diquat and its potential mechanism. Hydroxytyrosol improved intestinal morphology, characterized by higher villus height and villus height/crypt depth. Meanwhile, hydroxytyrosol led to higher expression of Occludin, MUC2, Nrf2, and its downstream genes, and lower expression of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Both oxidative stress and hydroxytyrosol resulted in a higher abundance of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, and a lower abundance of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus, without a significant effect on short-chain fatty acids levels. Oxidative stress also led to disorders in bile acid (BA) metabolism, such as the lower levels of primary BAs, hyocholic acid, hyodeoxycholic acid, and tauroursodeoxycholic acid, which were partially restored by hydroxytyrosol. Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between these BA levels and the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream genes. Collectively, hydroxytyrosol may reduce oxidative stress-induced intestinal damage by regulating BA metabolism.
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