All articles tagged with #microbial mats
A Moroccan team found wrinkle-like fossil structures in ancient turbidites, likely formed by chemosynthetic microbial mats buried by underwater landslides. The discovery suggests early life could thrive in deep, dark oceans without sunlight, challenging the notion that photosynthesis-controlled shallow waters were the cradle of life; published in Geology (2025).
Scientists found wrinkle-like fossil imprints in 180-million-year-old turbidites in Morocco's Central High Atlas, likely formed by ancient chemosynthetic microbial communities rather than photosynthetic life, suggesting deep-water habitats preserved in rocks may hold clues to early life and expanding where researchers search for oldest microbial life.
Geologists report wrinkle-like textures in 180-million-year-old deep-sea turbidites in Morocco that are biotic, formed by chemosynthetic microbial mats in sunless, low-oxygen waters. Carbon-rich layers beneath the wrinkles and modern deep-sea analogs support a biotic origin, suggesting such textures can record ancient life in deep-water settings and may widen where researchers search for early Earth life.
Earth's gradual slowing of its rotation, caused by the Moon's gravitational pull, may have influenced the timing and pattern of Earth's oxygenation, particularly through its effect on microbial oxygen production during events like the Great Oxidation Event, by affecting the duration of daylight and microbial activity.