Description:
This is stromatolite has a most unusual form genus. It is essentially
filled with concentric spheroids called Girvanella that are commonly
called algal balls. Coming from a Lower Cambrian formation, these
stromatolites date to a time when stromatolites were no longer prevalent
and abundant on earth. The massive cyanobacterial stromatolite reefs
of the Proterozoic had yielded to new reef systems with abundant
and diverse life forms. For more than two billion years the cyanobacteria
had oxygenated earth’s atmosphere through their photosynthetic
metabolism. Earth was now hostile to them in many ways, with other
heterotrophic microbes to compete with, while the atmosphere that
they had created was essentially poison to them.
We cannot say for sure that the microbes that produced
these Girvanella were cyanobacteria. Perhaps they were plant-like
eukaryotic algae. What seems probable is that each little spheroid
was once an independent colony that was never able to grow into
the large domal structures like those of Proterozoic-time.
The locality is another interesting aspect of these
stromatolites. It comes from a small pod between two Ollenelus trilobite
zones immediately adjacent to Area 51 near Racheal, Nevada. As we
know the secrets of Area 51 are as prominent as the uncertainty
of the stromatolites’ makers.
Stromatolites have persisted to the modern day in
such places as Shark Bay, Australia where they continue their billions
of years old lifestyle. While this piece would make a fine present
for any natural history buff, anyone who appreciates art would also
be glad to get thus wonderful specimen as a gift.
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