THE DISCOVERY OF CHAIN-LIKE ULTRA-MICROFOSSILS IN THE MANGANESE NODULES FROM THE PACIFIC-OCEAN

The pelagic manganese nodules from the East Pacific Ocean have been st udied with polarizing and electron microscopy since 1994. A columnar m icrostromatolite was identified as Minima in the smooth nodules. A kin d of chain-like ultra-microfossils was discovered in this microstromat olite. They are two orders of magnitude smaller than common microorgan isms, such as bacteria. The ultra-microorganisms corresponding with th e ultra-microfossils can be considered as the constructors of the pela gic manganese nodules and may be a new taxon in microbiology.