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Science 15 October 1965:
Vol. 150. no. 3694, pp. 337 - 339
DOI: 10.1126/science.150.3694.337
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Articles

Microorganisms from the Late Precambrian of Central Australia

Elso S. Barghoorn 1 and J. William Schopf 1

1 Biological Laboratories and Botanical Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

An assemblage of structurally and organically well preserved microorganisms, interpreted as both green and blue-green algae, has been found in chert facies of the Bitter Springs limestone from the upper Precambrian of central Australia. This appears to be the earliest known occurrence of green algae in the fossil record. These organisms are among the oldest known multicellular and unicellular fossils exhibiting distinct histological preservation.


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