Archæan Microfossil Record

The following images are from the published work of J. W. Schopf (1993) representing what are interpreted to be the remains of the earliest cyanobacterial microfossils.

Fig. 1. Microfossils from the early Archean Apex Chert of Australia (from Schopf, 1993). Stromatolite-like clasts (A,B,C) and microfossils (D-O, holotypes) with interpretative drawings. Except as indicated, magnification is as shown in (N). (A) shows clast, with boxed area enlarged in (B); arrows point to minute filamentous microfossils. (C) is another clast showing stromatolite-like laminae. (D,E) Archaeotrichion septatum; (F) Eoleptonema apex; (G,H) Primaevifilum minutum; (I,J,K) Primaevifilum delicatum; (L,M,N,O) Archaeoscillatoriopsis disciformis.

Fig. 2. More microfossils from the Apex Chert (from Schopf, 1993). Magnification of (D,E,I,J) as in (E); others as in (A). (A-E) Primaevifilum amoenum; (F-J) Primaevifilum conicoterminatum.

These photomicrographs are from the Swaziland Supergroup of South Africa, the Fig Tree Formation.. See if you can distinguish any morphological details from these slides.

Update, 01 November 2001.