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Originally posted by jdean
It reminded me of stromatolite fossils I had seen before.
As you probably know stromatolite formations are ALSO among the oldest fossils, and they are still being formed to this day by mats of bacteria on some shorelines.
Actually, I believe that stromatolites are mats of algae, but yes they may also be fossilized in the "Snout" rock. If there was algae or bacteria coexisting with sponges, that also could have been a food source for them.
I've only seen a few pictures of stromatolite fossils. The fossils I collect near my house are from a later period (Mississippian period). They're mostly sponges, crinoids, and corals.
Originally posted by jdean
There's a good definition here:
www.fossilmuseum.net...
There's an interesting sentence there:
"Stromatolites secreted a thick gel as protection from unattenuated solar radiation."
I think cyanobacteria, and blue-green algae, have both been used as terms to describe the oraganisms that built up these layered mounds.
I still think it could be a nice place for a sponge to take up residence..
Originally posted by dangermouse
Kano, are you on NASA's payroll?
Originally posted by Faisca
very similar to insects found on earth, in fact it can be classified down to the genus and species (they're just much larger).
The "triple berry" seen in the center of the microscopic image is intriguing to scientists because it reveals a clue about how the blueberries formed. Spheres formed from impacts or volcanoes do not tend to mold together like the spheres seen in the microscopic image. Spheres from impacts or craters are usually round or teardrop-shaped from flying in the air and freezing before hitting the ground. Any droplets of magma that combine with other droplets usually grow into a single mass in a spherical, dumbbell, or teardrop shape. In contrast, concretions could form this triple berry shape. Concretions are spherical mineral structures formed by groundwater percolating through porous rocks. On Earth, as concretions grow in close proximity to each other, their outer edges often intersect each other, giving an appearance like a triple soap bubble.