Stalactites Core Prospect as Environmental "Microbial Ark": The Actinomycetota Diversity Paradigm, First Reported from a Greek Cave

Abstract

Speleothems found in caves worldwide are considered the natural libraries of paleontology. Bacteria found in these ecosystems are generally limited to Proteobacteria and Actinomycetota, but rare microbiome and "Dark Matter" is generally under-investigated and often neglected. This research article discusses, for the first time to our knowledge, the diachronic diversity of Actinomycetota entrapped inside a cave stalactite. The planet's environmental microbial community profile of different eras can be stored in these refugia (speleothems). These speleothems could be an environmental "Microbial Ark" storing rare microbiome and "Dark Matter" bacterial communities evermore.

Keywords: Actinobacteria; Microbial Dark Matter; biogeography; extreme environment; paleomicrobiology; rare microbiome; refugium model.