Stromatolite Plaque 7 x 6.5 cm
A Stromatolite plaque measuring just 7 x 6.5 cm, is a small fossil specimen, but it carries with it a significant story of Earth’s ancient past. At such a small size, this stromatolite could be a single layer or a small section of a much larger formation. Stromatolites of this size typically form in shallow, often briny waters where microbial life, such as cyanobacteria, is abundant.
The growth of stromatolites occurs over long periods of time, with layers of microbial mats accumulating on top of each other. Cyanobacteria in these mats use sunlight to photosynthesize, trapping minerals from the surrounding water and forming the characteristic layered structures. Despite its small size, this stromatolite could be hundreds, or even thousands, of years old. It serves as a tiny but valuable relic of life from the distant past—likely from a time when stromatolites were much more common on Earth.
The presence of such a small stromatolite is also an indicator of the environmental conditions in which it was formed. It may have grown in a protected environment with stable conditions, such as a saline lagoon or a shallow reef area, where sedimentation rates
