8" Polished Stromatolite (Jurusania) From Russia - 950 Million Years

This is a large, polished slab of Neoproterozoic stromatolites (Jurusania cylindrica) from the Bashkortostan region of Russia. These precambrian stromatolites have been dated to between 850 and 950 million years old. It comes with an acrylic display stand.

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
Jurusania cylindrica (Krylov 1963)
LOCATION
Inzer River, Assy Village, Bashkortostan, Russia
FORMATION
Katavskaya Formation, Kratau Group
SIZE
8 x 7.9", up to 3/8" thick
CATEGORY
ITEM
#57551
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