Arquivos da tag:Fossil

Stromatolites, the oldest living fossils – part 1: Shark Bay, Australia / Estromatólitos, os mais velhos fósseis vivos, parte 1: Shark Bay

Stromatolites are the oldest known evidence of life, dating back to more than 3.5 billion years ago. They are formed by colonies of cyanobacteria that trap mostly calcareous sediments in column-shaped structures. Nowadays they only occur in places with high salinity where animals that mess up the ocean floor in search of food (the seagrazers)Continuar lendo “Stromatolites, the oldest living fossils – part 1: Shark Bay, Australia / Estromatólitos, os mais velhos fósseis vivos, parte 1: Shark Bay”

Corumbella werneri from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Photo by F. Caxito This little fellow is Corumbella werneri (Hahn et al., 1982), one of the oldest animal fossils in South America. Here it is seen in limestone from Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Corumbella and her cousin, Cloudina, are among the first animals to develop a calcareous shell. Why did they doContinuar lendo “Corumbella werneri from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil”