Monday 16 July 2018

Pre-Cambrian Stromatolites

The north-east of Islay has world famous exposures of fossil microbial bodies. These are primitive life forms that have been excellently preserved from Pre-Cambrian times, 700 million years ago.

Part of the Bonahaven Dolomite formation, they can be found as mounds (bioherms) and in sheet like structures (biostromes). The surrounding rocks give us clues into what the earth was like then and what habitat these microbial bodies lived in.

Stromatolic dolostone (left & top right) and preserved mud cracks (hand-lens for scale).

Stromatolite bioherms (hand-lens for scale) 

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