stromatolite

[ stroh-mat-l-ahyt ]

noun

, Geology.

1. 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.

stromatolite

/ strəʊˌmætəˈlɪtɪk; strəʊˈmætəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. 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

stromatolite

/ strō-măt′l-īt′ /

1. 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.

Derived Forms

• stromatolitic, adjective

Other Words From

• stro·mat·o·lit·ic [stroh-mat-l-, it, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stromatolite¹

First recorded in 1930–35; from German Stromatolith (1908), from Late Latin strōmat-, stem of strōma “coverlet” + -o- connecting vowel + German -lith; stroma, -o-, -lith; -lite

Word History and Origins

Origin of stromatolite¹

C20: from Greek, from strōma covering + -lite