What do estromatolites say about those initial moments of life?
2006/06/14 Rementeria Argote, Nagore - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa
Estromatolites are biobuildings produced by microorganisms, singular structures formed by sediments. This is what is defined, but some estromatolites question whether they are made by living beings or whether they are structures produced in an abiotic way.
This is the doubt that has occurred with the stromatolites of the Australian region of Pilbara. Well, according to an article recently published in the journal Nature, these structures are created by real living beings (in the form of cone, in the form of wave, bottled or in the form of cardboard hueveras).
If it really is, the most important conclusion would be that three thousand four hundred million years ago the diversity of microorganisms was very high, since each type of structure is generated by a microorganism. Therefore, life was formed (about four billion years ago) and diversified shortly thereafter. And the Australian researchers who have published the article have gone further in their conclusions: at that time there were conditions similar to those of the Earth on Mars, so it would have been possible to create and diversify life, even if it did not go much further.
Photo: A. Allwood.
