Geology and Minerals
Fig Tree Formation
The Fig Tree Formation, also called Fig Tree Group, is a stromatolite-containing geological formation in South Africa dated to around 3.28–3.22 Ga. The rock contains fossils of microscopic life forms that are about 3.26 billion years old. Identified organisms include the bacterium Eobacterium isolatum and the algae-like Archaeosphaeroides barbertonensis. The fossils in the Fig Tree Formation are considered some of the oldest known organisms on Earth, and provide evidence that life may have existed much earlier than previously thought. The formation is composed of shales, turbiditic greywackes, volcaniclastic sandstones, chert, turbiditic siltstone, conglomerate, breccias, mudstones, and iron-rich shales.
Also on this shelf
Arabian-Nubian Shield.
Augustine Volcano.
See also
- ▸Cascadia subduction zone
- ▸Geology and geological history of California
- ▸Cinder Cone and the Fantastic Lava Beds
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