Abstract
The fossil record of prokaryotes extends back 3500 million years and prokaryotes were only forms of life known for the first 2000 million years of Earth history. Understanding the fossil record of these organisms is important for the comprehension of the interaction of geological factors and the evolution of life. Prokaryo-tic microbial fossils, however, do not provide sufficient detailed evidence to help a great deal in this. Stromatolites, the biosedimentary products of microbe-sediment interactions, have the potential to provide significant information on the interaction of the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and litho-sphere throughout the entire history of life on this planet.
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Awramik, S.M. (1992). The History and Significance of Stromatolites. In: Schidlowski, M., Golubic, S., Kimberley, M.M., McKirdy, D.M., Trudinger, P.A. (eds) Early Organic Evolution. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76884-2_34
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