Cellular remains in a ~3.42-billion-year-old subseafloor hydrothermal environment

Barbara Cavalazzi, Laurence Lemelle, Alexandre Simionovici, Sherry L. Cady, Michael J. Russell, Elena Bailo, Roberto Canteri, Emanuele Enrico, Alain Manceau, Assimo Maris, Murielle Salomé, Emilie Thomassot, Nordine Bouden, Rémi Tucoulou, Axel Hofmann

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

37 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Subsurface habitats on Earth host an extensive extant biosphere and likely provided one of Earth's earliest microbial habitats. Although the site of life's emergence continues to be debated, evidence of early life provides insights into its early evolution and metabolic affinity. Here, we present the discovery of exceptionally well-preserved, ~3.42-billion-year-old putative filamentous microfossils that inhabited a paleo-subseafloor hydrothermal vein system of the Barberton greenstone belt in South Africa. The filaments colonized the walls of conduits created by low-temperature hydrothermal fluid. Combined with their morphological and chemical characteristics as investigated over a range of scales, they can be considered the oldest methanogens and/or methanotrophs that thrived in an ultramafic volcanic substrate.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbereabf3963
JournalScience advances
Volume7
Issue number29
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Multidisciplinary

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