Interdisciplinary work plays an important role in the research on chemosynthetic ecosystems. On various projects I am working together with colleagues from different departments and disciplines, especially biology and geochemistry.

 

Molluskan Phylogeny

 Paleontology and Molecular Biology

At the University of Leeds I designed a cross-departmental PhD project entitled ‘Phylogeny of mollusks in chemosynthetic ecosystems’. One goal of this project is to clarify the origin of mussels (family Mytilidae) living in chemosynthetic ecosystems today. The focus here is on the use of juvenile shells and shell microstructure, because these characters have so far been largely overlooked in phylogenetic studies of this group. The other objective is a molecular biologic study of the identity and phylogeny of skeneiform gastropods. Because these snails are extremely small and have very few shell characters, molecular data can significantly contribute to the reconstruction of their phylogeny. This project is financed by the Portuguese government, and the PhD student Luciana Génio is supervised by myself and a team of paleontologists and biologists at the Earth and Biosphere Institute of the University of Leeds.

 Génio, L., Kiel, S., Little, C.T.S., Grahame, J., & Cunha, M.R. 2006. Shell microstructure of mytiloids (Bivalvia). International Congress on Bivalvia, 22-27 July, Barcelona, Spain.

 Génio, L., Kiel, S., Little, C.T.S., Grahame, J., & Cunha, M.R. 2006. Phylogenetic relationships of two distinct groups of molluscs from deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems. 11th International Deep-Sea Biology Symposium, 9-14 July, Southampton, UK.

 

 Paleontology - Anatomy - Genetics

Anatomical, molecular and shell characters of the gastropod Leptogyra are investigated in cooperation with Prof. Gerhard Haszprunar (Munich) and Dr. Yasunori Kano (Miyazaki, Japan). This snail appears to be a basal (primitive) member of the gastropod family Neophalidae, which is endemic to deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems. This interdisciplinary study will reveal new insights to the origin and adaptation of these animals to these habitats.

Heß, M., Beck, F., Gensler, H., Kano, Y., Kiel, S. & Haszprunar, G. in press. Microanatomy, shell structure, and molecular phylogeny of Leptogyra, Xyleptogyra and Leptogyropsis (Gastropoda, Neomphalida, Melanodrymiidae) from sunken wood. Journal of Molluscan Studies.

Haszprunar, G. & Kiel, S. 2005. Leptogyra and Leptogyropsis: Two wood-inhabiting neomphaloid gastropods. 3rd International Symposium on vent and seep biology, 16-21 September, La Jolla, USA.

 

Paleoecology

 Paleontology and Geochemistry

To improve our understanding of the paleoecology and the interplay of geochemistry and the animals inhabiting is the goal of my cooperation with the geochemist Prof. Jörn Peckmann (Bremen). Also, we use stable carbon isotope (δ13C) and paleontological data to identify new fossil methane seeps.
 

Kiel, S. & Peckmann, J. in press. Paleoecology and evolutionary significance of an Early Cretaceous Peregrinella-dominated hydrocarbon-seep deposit on the Crimean Peninsula. PALAIOS. 

Kiel, S. & Peckmann, J. 2007. Chemosymbiotic bivalves and stable carbon isotopes indicate hydrocarbon seepage at four unusual Cenozoic fossil localities. Lethaia 40: 345-357.