Farrel quartzite microfossils in the Goldsworthy Greenstone belt, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia: additional evidence for a diverse and evolved biota on the Archean earth

Kenichiro Sugitani*, Koichi Mimura, Malcolm R. Walter

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

A microfossil assemblage recently discovered from the Farrel Quartzite
(ca. 3.0 Ga) in the Goldsworthy greenstone belt in the Pilbara Craton comprises
five main morphological types (thread like, film-like, spheroidal [>15 and <15 mm], and lenticular to spindle-like) and some elaborate morphologies that might represent reproducing or resting stages of the spheroidal and lenticular to spindle-like structures. This assemblage is abundant within a stratiform black chert associated with evaporite, suggesting an early evolution of a diverse and complex ecosystem in an Archean shallow water environment, although taxonomic and phylogenetic studies have only just begun. So far, from more than ten sites of occurrence of black cherts in the Goldsworthy greenstone belt, similar assemblages of microstructures have been found.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationStromatolites
Subtitle of host publicationinteraction of microbes with sediments
EditorsVinod C. Tewari, Joseph Seckbach
Place of PublicationBerlin
PublisherSpringer, Springer Nature
Pages117-132
Number of pages16
ISBN (Electronic)9789400703971
ISBN (Print)9789400703964
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameCellular Origin Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology
PublisherSpringer
Volume18
ISSN (Print)1871-661X

Keywords

  • Farrel Quartzite
  • Microfossils
  • Goldsworthy greenstone belt
  • Pilbara Craton
  • Spheroidal
  • Spindle-like
  • Archean
  • Microstructures
  • Western Australia
  • Diverse and complex ecosystem

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