Diverse and large Archean microfossil assemblage from the Pilbara Craton -its origin and significance in the early evolution of life-

2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19340150
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Geology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: SUGITANI Kenichiro Nagoya University, 大学院・環境学研究科, 教授 (20222052)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MIMURA Koichi 名古屋大学, 大学院・環境学研究科, 准教授 (80262848) ; YAMAMOTO Koshi 名古屋大学, 環境学研究科, 准教授 (70183689) ; MINAMI Masayo 名古屋大学, 年代測定資料研究センター, 准教授 (90324392)
• Project Period (FY): 2007 – 2009
• Keywords: 太古代 / 初期生命 / 進化 / ピルバラクラトン / シアノバクテリア / 真核生物

Research Abstract

Morphologically diverse microfossils from the ca. 3.0 Ga Farrel Quartzite in the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia were studied comprehensively, including accumulation of photo data of microfossils, palynological extraction of microfossils, reconstruction of 3-D images, reconstruction of life cycle and taxonomic analyses, analyses of rare-earth elements in host cherts, and Nano-SIMS elemental mapping. The results of these studies are consistent with the biogenicity of the Farrel Quartzite microstructures, and suggest that the surface ecosystem in the Archean was much more diverse than currently postulated and the possibility that the assemblage includes oxygen-producing photosynthetic bacteria and even eukaryotes.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] A systematic rare-earth elements and yttrium study of Archean cherts at the Mount Goldsworthy greenstone belt in the Pilbara Craton: Implications for the origin of microfossil-bearing black cherts (2010)
  • Author(s): Sugahara, H., Sugitaniani, K., Mimura, K., Yamashita, F., Yamamoto, K
  • Journal Title: Precambrian Research 177 Pages: 73-87
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Three-dimensional morphological and textural complexity of Arhean putative microfossils from the northeastern Pilbara Craton: Indications of biogenicity of large (>15μm) spheroidal and spindle-like structures (2009)
  • Author(s): Sugitani, K., Grey, K., Nagaoka, T., Mimura, K
  • Journal Title: Astrobiology 9 Pages: 603-615
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Nano SIMS: Insights to biogenicity and syngeneity of Archaean carbonaceous structures (2009)
  • Author(s): Oehler, D.Z., Robert, F., Walter, M.R., Sugitani, K., Allwood, A., Meibom, A., 3) Mostefaoui, S., Selo, M., Thomen, A., Gibson, E
  • Journal Title: Precambrian Research 173 Pages: 70-78
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Taxonomy and biogenicity of Archaean spheroidal microfossils (c. 3. 0 Ga) from the Mount Goldsworthy-Mount Grant area in the northeastern Pilbara Craton, Western Asutralia (2009)
  • Author(s): Sugitani, K., Grey, K., Nagaoka, T., Mimura, K., Walter, M. R
  • Journal Title: Precambrian Research 173 Pages: 50-59
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Palynology of Archean microfossils (c. 3. 0 Ga) from the Mount Grant area, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia: Further evidence of biogenicity (2009)
  • Author(s): Grey, K., Sugitani, K
  • Journal Title: Precambrian Research 173 Pages: 60-69
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] ピルバラクラトン・マウントゴールズワージー地域に産する太古代堆積岩の岩石学・地球化学・古生物学 (2008)
  • Author(s): 杉谷健一郎
  • Organizer: 日本地球化学会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京大学
  • Year and Date: 2008-09-18
• [Presentation] Putative Archean microfossils (>3. 0Ga) from the Mount Goldsworthy and Mount Grant Area in the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia: Taxonomic reinterpretation and implications for ancient biotic diversity and evolution (2008)
  • Author(s): Sugitani, K., Grey, K., Nagaoka, T., Mimura, K., Walter, M. R
  • Organizer: World Summit on Ancient Microscopic Fossils
  • Place of Presentation: UCLA(US)
  • Year and Date: 2008-07-02