Earliest signs of life on land preserved in ca. 3.5 Ga hot spring deposits

Tara Djokic; Martin J. Van Kranendonk; Kathleen A. Campbell; Malcolm R. Walter; Colin R. Ward

doi:10.1038/ncomms15263

Nature Communications (May 2017)

Earliest signs of life on land preserved in ca. 3.5 Ga hot spring deposits

Tara Djokic,
Martin J. Van Kranendonk,
Kathleen A. Campbell,
Malcolm R. Walter,
Colin R. Ward

Affiliations

Tara Djokic: Australian Centre for Astrobiology, PANGEA Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales
Martin J. Van Kranendonk: Australian Centre for Astrobiology, PANGEA Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales
Kathleen A. Campbell: School of Environment, University of Auckland
Malcolm R. Walter: Australian Centre for Astrobiology, PANGEA Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales
Colin R. Ward: School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Australia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15263
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Some of the earliest life on Earth flourished in terrestrial hot springs. Here, the authors present evidence for ca. 3.5 Ga hot spring deposits from the Dresser Formation, Pilbara Craton, Australia, that host some of the earliest known life in the form of stromatolites and other microbial biosignatures.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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