Abstract A comparative statistical study has been carried out on populations of modern algae, of Precambrian algal microfossils, of the ‘organized elements’ of the Orgueil carbonaceous meteorite, and of the oldest microfossil-like objects now known (spheroidal bodies from the Fig Tree and Onverwacht Groups of the Swaziland Supergroup, South Africa). The distribution patterns exhibited by the >3000 m.y.-old Swaziland microstructures bear considerable resemblance to those of the abiotic ‘organized elements’ but rather markedly differ from those exhibited by younger, assuredly biogenic, populations. Based on these comparisons it is concluded that the Swaziland spheroids could be, at least in part, of non-biologic origin; these oldest known fossil-like micro-structures should not be regarded as constituting firm evidence of Archean life.


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    Titel :

    Are the oldest ‘fossils’, fossils?


    Beteiligte:

    Erschienen in:

    Origins of life ; 7 , 1 ; 19-36


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    1976




    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)


    Format :

    Print


    Sprache :

    Englisch



    Klassifikation :

    BKL:    44.71 Verkehrsmedizin
    Lokalklassifikation TIB:    535/3908/4290




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