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I was given this Stromatolite as a gift from a family member who knows I have started to collect fossils. 

It came with no provenance and all the this person was told was that it is 3.5 billion years old. 

 

It looks genuine to me. 

Any comments?

 

And any further info?

 

 

IMG_5397.jpg

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160.png MotM August 2023 - Eclectic Collector

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I think this is from the Moroccan Sahara and are often found being sold online with ages from billions of years old to Cretaceous or Eocene. 

Unfortunately, I don't believe they are stromatolites but are a mineral evaporite formation. 

See my reports here :

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/93407-black-sahara-erfoud-morocco/&page=2

And here :

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/93823-fossil-shops-erfoud-morocco/

for more details, yours is a little different but much the same sort of thing. 

 

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18 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

I think this is from the Moroccan Sahara and are often found being sold online with ages from billions of years old to Cretaceous or Eocene. 

Unfortunately, I don't believe they are stromatolites but are a mineral evaporite formation. 


for more details, yours is a little different but much the same sort of thing. 

Thanks for the info. 

So if one was to slice through it (not that I would), that would give 100% confirmation?

 

I have tried to do some further research on Google Scholar, but can't find much on this. 

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160.png MotM August 2023 - Eclectic Collector

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4 hours ago, Yoda said:

Thanks for the info. 

So if one was to slice through it (not that I would), that would give 100% confirmation?

 

I have tried to do some further research on Google Scholar, but can't find much on this. 

I'm not sure it would confirm it 100%, but if you were to do slice it and it showed no layering or stromatolite pillar structure than it would go quite some way to confirmation. 

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3 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

I'm not sure it would confirm it 100%, but if you were to do slice it and it showed no layering or stromatolite pillar structure than it would go quite some way to confirmation. 

I believe that stromatolites do not have pillar structures; stromatoporoids (sponges) do.

 

See Wikipedia for photo of stromatoporoid with pillers:

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stromatoporoidea

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Just now, DPS Ammonite said:

I believe that stromatolites do not have pillar structures; stromatoporoids (sponges) do.

 

See Wikipedia for photo of stromatoporoid with pillers:

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stromatoporoidea

You're right of course, not 'pillars' but the sort of vertical structure that is found in some stromatolites :

Image result for stromatoliteor just curves : Image result for stromatolite

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  • 4 weeks later...

Yoda,

 

Can you tell where it comes from? 

 

To be honest .. It doesn't look at all to the stromatolites I know myself. More a look a like :)

 

 

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21 hours ago, Fitch1979 said:

Yoda,

 

Can you tell where it comes from? 

 

To be honest .. It doesn't look at all to the stromatolites I know myself. More a look a like :)

 

 

Not sure tbh

From my research the closest possibility is Morocco

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160.png MotM August 2023 - Eclectic Collector

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I found this online. 

It's sold already, but looks very similar to mine.

Silurian - Farley Quarry, Shropshire

 

 

stomatolite.jpg

 

Edit - I don't know how to make the image bigger......

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160.png MotM August 2023 - Eclectic Collector

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I think Tidgy's has it... it looks like one of those ones from Morocco (whatever age they are) and probably not stromatolites. I have a couple myself. I am curious to slice one open and see what it looks like...

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1 hour ago, Wrangellian said:

I think Tidgy's has it... it looks like one of those ones from Morocco (whatever age they are) and probably not stromatolites. I have a couple myself. I am curious to slice one open and see what it looks like...

Please post photos if you do slice one of yours open.

 

Out of interest, is the UK stromatolite a genuine one? 

MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png.a47e14d65deb3f8b242019b3a81d8160.png MotM August 2023 - Eclectic Collector

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I don't know.. I found the one you're referring to and I can't tell if it's a strom based on the pics, and I'd hate to make the call without seeing a slice of it. Maybe someone else knows about that locality...

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How to tell the difference? It's easy: the sand concretions even show the sand if you get a closer picture of the piece..

 

This is a real stromatolite from Morocco (from my own collection)

 

image.png.0660c5a0e0b2baafe246ca6df88f2f79.png

 

this is a fake one (sand concretion)

 

image.png.c236cbb8470b633193d1533e37b3227c.png

 

 

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15 hours ago, Fitch1979 said:

How to tell the difference? It's easy: the sand concretions even show the sand if you get a closer picture of the piece..

 

This is a real stromatolite from Morocco (from my own collection)

 

image.png.0660c5a0e0b2baafe246ca6df88f2f79.png

 

That's a nice example! I'd like one like that from any location (the older the better). Any idea of the age?

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On 4-5-2019 at 1:18 PM, Wrangellian said:

That's a nice example! I'd like one like that from any location (the older the better). Any idea of the age?

precambrium ... nearly the oldest fossil you can find ;)

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44 minutes ago, Fitch1979 said:

precambrium ... nearly the oldest fossil you can find ;)

That's the best kind. What part of the Precambrian, do you know?

I'd like to get one like that myself. I like the natural weathering.

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