8.7" Polished, Mesoproterozoic Stromatolite (Conophyton) - Australia

This is a large, cut/polished slab of a Mesoproterozoic stromatolite (Conophyton garganicum australe) from the Bangemall Basin in the Ashburton region of Western Australia. These deposits are from the Mesoproterozoic (1-1.6 billion years old), but I can't find any more precise date ranges for the formation.

Stromatolites are the layered trace fossils of microbial life, primarily cyanobacteria. Some of them date back an astounding 3.4 billion years, making them the oldest record of life on Earth! Stromatolites and Microbialites were typically formed in shallow water by the growth of layer upon layer of cyanobacteria, a single-celled, photosynthesizing microbe. These layers often form very beautiful and colorful banded structures in the rock.

These oxygen-producing cyanobacteria were so simple they lacked a DNA-packaging nucleus, but were responsible for possibly the largest changes the earth has undergone. They were the only major source of atmospheric oxygen critical for the development of more complex life.
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Conophyton garganicum australe
LOCATION
Bangemall Basin, Ashburton Region, Australia
FORMATION
Top Camp Formation
SIZE
8.7 x 4.7", .35" thick.
CATEGORY
ITEM
#150368
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