Microfossils are contained within black chert like the ones seen here. Credit must be given to the creator. Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted. No derivatives or adaptations of the ...

These are the oldest microfossils on Earth, which lived on the sea-floor near hydrothermal vents, and they metabolized iron, sulfur and carbon dioxide. Nuvvuagittuq Supracrustal Belt, Québec, Canada.

These microfossils have been degraded, exposed to high temperatures, and are now a mass of mature organic matter, says Maldanis. Still, they outline the shape of the original cell, pointing to a ...