澳大利亚早期阿凯纪时期的斯特罗马托利特珊瑚礁
Abigail C Allwood1, Malcolm R Walter, Balz S Kamber
1Australian Centre for Astrobiology/Macquarie University Biotechnology Research Institute, Macquarie University, Herring Road, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia. aallwood@els.mq.edu.au
Nature
|June 9, 2006
概括
澳大利亚古老的 stromatolites 提供了早期生命的有力证据. 这项研究揭示了多样化,复杂的结构,驳斥了非生物起源,并支持数十亿年前的微生物生态系统.
科学领域:
- 地质地质地质地质地质地
- 古生物学的古生物学
- 天体生物学 天体生物学
背景情况:
- 斯特雷利池 (Strelley Pool Chert,简称SPC),年龄约为343亿年,含有暗示生物起源的层状结构 (流石).
- 解释这种古老化石的生物性是具有挑战性的,因为保存和解释问题.
研究的目的:
- 对斯特雷利池图进行多公里规模的古生物学和古环境调查.
- 在其特定的古老环境环境中识别和分析 stromatolite 形态型.
- 为了驳斥非生态假设,并支持这些古老结构的生物起源.
主要方法:
- 斯特雷利池切尔特浮点的广泛的现场测绘和地质调查.
- 详细的形态分析横跨一个周边碳酸盐平台的 stromatolite 结构.
- 进行比较的古老环境重建,以了解已识别的形态型的沉积环境.
主要成果:
- 鉴定了七种不同的树突石形态型,包括几种以前未经记录的.
- 特定的 stromatolite 形态类型与古碳酸盐平台上特定的古环境条件的相关性.
- 在SPC中驳斥了 stromatolite形成的拟议的无源机制.
结论:
- SPC树岩的多样性,复杂性和环境分布强烈表明其生物起源.
- 这些发现为地球上早期生命提供了强有力的证据,支持天体生物学领域.
- 该研究确立了在古老的树枝状岩层形成中识别生物原性的新标准.
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