File:Stromatolithe_Paléoarchéen_-_MNHT.PAL.2009.10.1.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
stromatolite
Sign in to saveAlso known as stromatoliths, stromatolites, stromatolith, stromatolitic
thumb|Fossilized stromatolite in Strelley Pool [[chert, about 3.4 billion years old, from Pilbara Craton, Western Australia]] thumb|Modern stromatolites in Shark Bay, Western Australia|Shark Bay, Western Australia
Wikidata facts
- Subclass of
- sedimentary rock
- Image
- Stromatolites in Sharkbay.jpg
Show 3 more facts
- Commons category
- Stromatolites
- Commons gallery
- Stromatolites
- topic's main category
- Category:Stromatolites
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via Wikidata · CC0
~14 min read
Encyclopedic overview
12 sectionsContents
- Definition
- Ancient stromatolites
- Morphology
- Fossil record
- Modern occurrence
- Formation
- Saline locations
- Freshwater locations
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|Fossilized stromatolite in Strelley Pool [[chert, about 3.4 billion years old, from Pilbara Craton, Western Australia]] thumb|Modern stromatolites in Shark Bay, Western Australia|Shark Bay, Western Australia
Stromatolites ( ) or stromatoliths () are layered sedimentary formations (microbialite) that are created mainly by photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria, and Pseudomonadota (formerly proteobacteria). These microorganisms produce adhesive compounds that cement sand and other rocky materials to form mineral "microbial mats". In turn, these mats build up layer by layer, growing gradually over time.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “stromatolite” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.