Filamentous fossil bacteria from the Archean of Western Australia

S. M. Awramik; J. W. Schopf; M. R. Walter

doi:10.1016/0301-9268(83)90081-5

Filamentous fossil bacteria from the Archean of Western Australia

S. M. Awramik^*, J. W. Schopf, M. R. Walter

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

239 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Four morphotypes of structurally preserved, filamentous fossil bacteria have been discovered in petrographic thin sections of laminated, carbonaceous cherts from the ∼3500 Ma-old Warrawoona Group of northwestern Australia. These tubular and septate microfossils are interpreted here as being syngenetic with Warrawoona sedimentation; as such, they are apparently the oldest such fossils now known in the geological record. The diversity of this assemblage, and the evident complexity of its individual components, suggest that the beginnings of life on Earth may have appreciably pre-dated the deposition of the Warrawoona sediments.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	357-374
Number of pages	18
Journal	Precambrian Research
Volume	20
Issue number	2-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-9268(83)90081-5
Publication status	Published - 1983
Externally published	Yes

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AB - Four morphotypes of structurally preserved, filamentous fossil bacteria have been discovered in petrographic thin sections of laminated, carbonaceous cherts from the ∼3500 Ma-old Warrawoona Group of northwestern Australia. These tubular and septate microfossils are interpreted here as being syngenetic with Warrawoona sedimentation; as such, they are apparently the oldest such fossils now known in the geological record. The diversity of this assemblage, and the evident complexity of its individual components, suggest that the beginnings of life on Earth may have appreciably pre-dated the deposition of the Warrawoona sediments.

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Filamentous fossil bacteria from the Archean of Western Australia

Abstract

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