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Organic-walled microfossils in 3.2-billion-year-old shallow-marine siliciclastic deposits

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  • Emmanuelle J. Javaux

    (University of Liège, 17 allée du 6 Août B18, Liège 4000, Belgium)

  • Craig P. Marshall

    (University of Kansas, 1475 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, Kansas 66044, USA)

  • Andrey Bekker

    (University of Manitoba, 125 Dysart Road (Wallace Building), Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada)

Abstract

Early, complex life The discovery of relatively large, cell-like structures in early Archaean shale and siltstone deposits adds further evidence that diversified living organisms thrived on Earth at a very early date. Claims for fossils of this age are often controversial, as non-biological processes can produce life-like microstructures and chemical signatures resembling those of the remains of living organisms. Extensive efforts were therefore made to rule out a non-biological origin for these microstructures. They survive this examination and appear to be organic-walled microfossils derived from large microorganisms that cohabited with previously reported microbial mats living in the sunlit shallows of Earth's early oceans around 3.2 billion years ago.

Suggested Citation

  • Emmanuelle J. Javaux & Craig P. Marshall & Andrey Bekker, 2010. "Organic-walled microfossils in 3.2-billion-year-old shallow-marine siliciclastic deposits," Nature, Nature, vol. 463(7283), pages 934-938, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:463:y:2010:i:7283:d:10.1038_nature08793
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08793
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