Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Old fossils could be fractal frauds

Well, are they or aren't they? The debate over whether some of the accretions known as stromatolites are really of biological origin, and thus can provide information about the early history of life on Earth, takes a fresh turn.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Walter, M. R. in Early Life on Earth, Nobel Symp. 84 (ed. Bengtson, S.) 270–286 (Columbia Univ. Press, New York, 1994).

    Google Scholar 

  2. McKay, C. P. & Stoker, C. R. Rev. Geophys. 27, 189–214 (1989).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Walter, M. R. & DesMarais, D. Icarus 101, 129–143 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Grotzinger, J. P. & Rothman, D. H. Nature 383, 423–425 (1996).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Mawson, D. Q. J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 85, 613–623 (1929).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Black, M. Phil. Trans R. Soc. Lond. B 222, 165–192 (1933).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Tyler, S. & Barghoorn, E. S. Science 119, 606–608 (1954).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Logan, B. W. J. Geol. 69, 517–533 (1961).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Golubic, S. in Stromatolites (ed. Walter, M. R.) 113–140 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1976).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  10. Walter, M. R., Buick, R. & Dunlop, J. S. R. Nature 284, 443–445 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Lowe, D. R. Nature 284, 441–443 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Lowe, D. R. Geology 22, 387–390 (1994).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Grotzinger, J. P. & Kasting, J. J. Geol. 101, 235–243 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Walter, M. R., Grotzinger, J. P. & Schopf, J. W. in The Proterozoic Biosphere: A Multidisciplinary Study (eds Schopf, J. W. & Klein, C.) 253–260 (Oxford Univ. Press, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Grotzinger, J. P. Soc. Econ. Paleontol. Mineral. Spec. Publ. 44, 79–106 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Bauld, J., D'Amelio, E. & Farmer, J. D. in The Proterozoic Biosphere: A Multidisciplinary Study (eds Schopf, J. W. & Klein, C.) 261–269 (Oxford Univ. Press, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Walter, M. R. in Stromatolites (ed. Walter, M. R.) 87–112 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1976).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  18. Cady, S. & Farmer, J. D. in Evolution of Hydrothermal Ecosystems on Earth(? and Mars), Ciba Found. Symp. 202 (eds Bock, G. R. & Goode, J. A.) (Wiley, Chichester, in the press).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Walter, M. Old fossils could be fractal frauds. Nature 383, 385–386 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/383385a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/383385a0

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing