stromatolite
a layered, calcareous living fossil formed by cyanobacteria and believed to be responsible for building up the content of the primeval earth’s oxygen levels, allowing life forms to emerge and evolve.
Origin of stromatolite
1Other words from stromatolite
- stro·mat·o·lit·ic [stroh-mat-l-it-ik], /stroʊˌmæt lˈɪt ɪk/, adjective
Words Nearby stromatolite
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for stromatolite
/ (strəʊˈmætəˌlaɪt) /
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
Origin of stromatolite
1Derived forms of stromatolite
- stromatolitic (strəʊˌmætəˈlɪtɪk), adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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