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Gunflint Chert Microbiota Revisited – Neither Stromatolites, Nor Cyanobacteria

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Microbial Mats

Part of the book series: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology ((COLE,volume 14))

Abstract

Silica-embedded microfossils of the Gunflint Chert (1,800 million years BP) are compared to similar systems in Western Australia, the Jurassic of Switzerland and France, the Tertiary of Warstein, Germany, and to laboratory culture experiments with iron and manganese depositing fungi-exhibiting characteristics of ‘Metallogenium symbioticum’, Eoastreon, Kakabekia and other characteristic Gunflint fossils. A comparative analysis allows the following conclusions: (1) The Gunflint Chert does not represent ancient stromatolites. (2) They are iron- and silica-depositing decay environments, with fungi as active mineralisation partners. The fungal elements were embedded and fossilised selectively by repeated invasions of hot brines rich in dissolved silica. Similar deposits are known worldwide through earth history. Many jasper, agate and chert deposits, as well as silicified wood represent fungal saprophytic decay environments. (3) Fungi are the main microbial components, sometimes associated with filamentous iron bacteria. Both fungal fragments, including sclerotia and spore-like compounds, and filamentous iron bacteria can easily be confused with cyanobacterial remains typical for ‘true stromatolites’. In most cases studied from Precambrian to laboratory materials, only 1–3% of the original fungal body is fossilised. The fungal nature of the Gunflint flora as well as the Jurassic and tertiary decay systems may thus be partially hidden and is open to misinterpretation. Branching sections and elongate thin hyphae of fungal colonies usually do not deposit mineral coatings and are, therefore, usually not preserved in the fossil record. The fungal origin of the Gunflint Chert fossils may thus remain debated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geomicrobiology, ICBM, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, D 2611, Oldenburg, Germany

    Wolfgang E. Krumbein

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  1. Wolfgang E. Krumbein
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Correspondence to Wolfgang E. Krumbein .

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  1. University of Jerusalem, Mevo Hadas 20, Efrat, 90435, Israel

    Joseph Seckbach

  2. Inst. Life Sciences, Div. Microbial and Molecular Ecology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram Campus, Jerusalem, 91 904, Israel

    Aharon Oren

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Krumbein, W.E. (2010). Gunflint Chert Microbiota Revisited – Neither Stromatolites, Nor Cyanobacteria. In: Seckbach, J., Oren, A. (eds) Microbial Mats. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, vol 14. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3799-2_4

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