Ancient Carbonate Rock Reveals Early Sulfur-Breathing Bacteria (IMAGE)

University of Maryland

Ancient Carbonate Rock Reveals Early Sulfur-Breathing Bacteria

Caption

Shown at 50X magnification, whitish pyrite -- iron sulfite or 'fool's gold' -- is embedded in gray carbonate rock, formed in a shallow sea some 2.5 billion years ago. Stable isotopic analysis of this and other samples from the same core produced the first evidence of sulfur-respiring bacteria in rocks of this type and age.

Credit

Iadviga Zhelezinskaia

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