What is a stromatolite? A stromatolite is produced by cyanobacteria. The distinctive layers are produced as calcium carbonate is precipitated over the growing mat of bacterial filaments. Photosynthesis in the bacteria depletes carbon dioxide in the surrounding water and makes it less acidic thus initiating the precipitation of the calcium carbonate. The minerals, along with … [Read more...] about Giant Stromatolites of Capitol Reef National Park
Fossils
Journey to the Past: Exploration of 280-Million-Year-Old Crinoid Fossils in Western Australia
Fossils are windows into the distant past, offering us glimpses of ancient creatures and the ecosystems in which they once thrived. One such fascinating example is the Jimbacrinus crinoid fossil, a well-preserved specimen from the Permian period, dating back 280 million years. Found in Gascoyne Junction, Western Australia, this Jimbacrinus crinoid fossil is a rare and … [Read more...] about Journey to the Past: Exploration of 280-Million-Year-Old Crinoid Fossils in Western Australia
Ancient Armadillo the Size of a Car Discovered in Argentina
In recent years, Argentina has become a treasure trove for paleontologists, with a wealth of fossils discovered in the country’s vast expanses. One of the latest discoveries made headlines worldwide, as a farmer stumbled upon the shells of four ancient armadillos called Glyptodonts, the size of cars. The largest of the four shells is about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, … [Read more...] about Ancient Armadillo the Size of a Car Discovered in Argentina
INSPIRED BY NATURE / AMMONITE BOUNTY
An exceptional example of the fractal building of an ammonite septum, in this clytoceratid Argonauticeras besairei from the awesome José Juárez Ruiz. Ammonites were predatory, squidlike creatures that lived inside coil-shaped shells. Like other cephalopods, ammonites had sharp, beak-like jaws inside a ring of squid-like tentacles that extended from their … [Read more...] about INSPIRED BY NATURE / AMMONITE BOUNTY