stromatolite
[stroh-mat-l-ahyt]
- a laminated calcareous fossil structure built by marine algae and having a rounded or columnar form.
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Origin of stromatolite
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
stromatolite
- a rocky mass consisting of layers of calcareous material and sediment formed by the prolific growth of cyanobacteria: such structures date back to Precambrian times
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Word Origin
C20: from Greek, from strōma covering + -lite
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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stromatolite
[strō-măt′l-īt′]
- A dome-shaped structure consisting of alternating layers of carbonate or silicate sediment and fossilized algal mats. Stromatolites are produced over geologic time by the trapping, binding, or precipitating of sediment by groups of microorganisms, primarily cyanobacteria. They are widely distributed in the fossil record and contain some of the oldest recorded forms of life, from over three billion years ago. They continue to form today especially in western Australia.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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