# An abiotic model for stromatolite morphogenesis

@article{Grotzinger1996AnAM,
title={An abiotic model for stromatolite morphogenesis},
author={John P. Grotzinger and Daniel H. Rothman},
journal={Nature},
year={1996},
volume={383},
pages={423-425}
}
• Published 3 October 1996
• Biology
• Nature
STROMATOLITES are laminated, accretionary structures, which are commonly regarded to have formed by the sediment-binding or precipitating activities of ancient microbial mats or biofilms (composed mainly of cyanobacteria), possibly supplemented by abiotic surface precipitation1–4. Stromatolites are thus considered to be a proxy for early life on Earth, as the record of these structures extends back to 3.5 Gyr ago5. But as stromatolites only rarely contain fossil microbes, their biogenicity is… Expand
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