Diverse microbially induced sedimentary structures from 1 Ga lakes of the Diabaig Formation, Torridon Group, northwest Scotland

Callow, Richard H. T.; Battison, Leila; Brasier, Martin D.

doi:10.1016/j.sedgeo.2011.06.002

Cited by 50 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…, Battison and Brasier ), biofilms and sediment‐binding microbial mats (Callow et al. ); these findings are all consistent with strategies for dealing with terrestrial desiccation and dispersal.…”

supporting

confidence: 64%

Green algae (Chlorophyta) and the question of freshwater symbiogenesis in the early proterozoic

Brasier

2013

Journal of Phycology

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supporting

confidence: 64%

Green algae (Chlorophyta) and the question of freshwater symbiogenesis in the early proterozoic

Brasier

2013

Journal of Phycology

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“…They are, in turn, unconformably overlain by lower Cambrian sedimentary deposits of the Eriboll Formation3738. The Torridon Group has been dated close to its base (Diabaig Formation) at 994 Ma ± 48 Myr39, and comprises a clastic sequence of coarse sandstones with minor shales that were deposited in terrestrial fluvio-lacustrine environments384041424344. Well-preserved microfossils occur as compressed, organic-walled microfossils (OWMs, or, palynomorphs) in laminated shales and as 3-dimensionally preserved OWMs housed in laminated phosphatic nodules within lacustrine grey shales of the Diabaig and Cailleach Head Formations (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Torridon sediments have a markedly non-marine character384041424344, and the microfossils are thought to be indigenous to a succession of lake ecosystems44. Of these, the Diabaig lakes were evidently fed by rivers that cut through palaeo-hills of Lewisian basement and 1.2 Ga Stoer Group non-marine sediments48, while the younger Cailleach Head lakes were presumably fed by rivers carrying both Lewisian and reworked Stoer and Torridon sediment38.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced cellular preservation by clay minerals in 1 billion-year-old lakes

Wacey

Saunders

Roberts

et al. 2014

Sci Rep

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Organic-walled microfossils provide the best insights into the composition and evolution of the biosphere through the first 80 percent of Earth history. The mechanism of microfossil preservation affects the quality of biological information retained and informs understanding of early Earth palaeo-environments. We here show that 1 billion-year-old microfossils from the non-marine Torridon Group are remarkably preserved by a combination of clay minerals and phosphate, with clay minerals providing the highest fidelity of preservation. Fe-rich clay mostly occurs in narrow zones in contact with cellular material and is interpreted as an early microbially-mediated phase enclosing and replacing the most labile biological material. K-rich clay occurs within and exterior to cell envelopes, forming where the supply of Fe had been exhausted. Clay minerals inter-finger with calcium phosphate that co-precipitated with the clays in the sub-oxic zone of the lake sediments. This type of preservation was favoured in sulfate-poor environments where Fe-silicate precipitation could outcompete Fe-sulfide formation. This work shows that clay minerals can provide an exceptionally high fidelity of microfossil preservation and extends the known geological range of this fossilization style by almost 500 Ma. It also suggests that the best-preserved microfossils of this time may be found in low-sulfate environments.

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“…Examples of MISS are now known from 3.2 Ga coastal silicilastic sediments of South Africa (Noffke et al 2006), broadly associated with cell-like carbonaceous structures (Javaux et al 2010), and also from 1.0 Ga old lake beds in Scotland (Callow et al 2011) associated with diverse cell morphotypes (Strother et al 2011). These MISS provide a promising avenue for future research.…”

Section: Criterion Iii-a)mentioning

confidence: 98%

Fossils and astrobiology: new protocols for cell evolution in deep time

Brasier

Wacey

2012

International Journal of Astrobiology

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The study of life remote in space has strong parallels with the study of life remote in time. Both are dependent on decoding those historic phenomena called 'fossils', here taken to include biogenic traces of activity and waste products. There is the shared problem of data restoration from incomplete data sets; the importance of contextual analysis of potentially viable habitats; the centrality of cell theory; the need to reject the null hypothesis of an abiogenic origin for candidate cells via morphospace analysis; the need to demonstrate biology-like behaviour (e.g., association with biofilm-like structures; tendency to form clusters and 'mats'; and a preference for certain substrates), and of metabolism-like behaviour (e.g., within the candidate cell wall; within surrounding 'waste products'; evidence for syntrophy and metabolic cycles; and evidence for metabolic tiers). We combine these ideas into a robust protocol for demonstrating ancient or extra-terrestrial life, drawing examples from Earth's early geological record, in particular from the earliest known freshwater communities of the 1.0 Ga Torridonian of Scotland, from the 1.9 Ga Gunflint Chert of Canada, from the 3.4 Ga Strelley Pool sandstone of Australia, and from the 3.46 Ga Apex Chert also of Australia.

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Diverse microbially induced sedimentary structures from 1 Ga lakes of the Diabaig Formation, Torridon Group, northwest Scotland

Cited by 50 publications

References 59 publications

Green algae (Chlorophyta) and the question of freshwater symbiogenesis in the early proterozoic

Green algae (Chlorophyta) and the question of freshwater symbiogenesis in the early proterozoic

Enhanced cellular preservation by clay minerals in 1 billion-year-old lakes

Fossils and astrobiology: new protocols for cell evolution in deep time

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