Geomicrobial Investigations of Colored Outer Coatings from an Ethiopian Rock Art Gallery

摘要: The open rock shelter of Yabelo in Ethiopia hosts diverse Holocene paintings great cultural importance. are characterized by the presence different mineral coatings, whose features have not been studied yet. Our goal was to understand whether samples from collected close proximity may reveal coatings with minerology and biology. Thus, elemental analyses combined microscopic molecular investigations were performed on two one whitish (sample 1) reddish 2). Although both dominated heterotrophic bacteria, showed distinct mineralogical microbiological characteristics. Sample 1 contained higher amounts Ca P than sample 2, which likely related organic matter. hosted bacterial genera that potentially involved biomineralization processes, metal redox cycles resistance. In contrast, 2 mainly pathogenic commensal bacteria characteristic animal human microbiota, other microorganisms nitrogen biogeochemical cycles. Overall, our results indicated communities particular coating mineralogy, suggesting a potential role biological components crust genesis.