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Proterozoic Stromatolite Taxonomy and Biostratigraphy

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Microbial Sediments

Abstract

Precambrian stromatolites are unique objects in Earth history. The predominance of microbes in ecosystems that they document, their specific global environments, and the scale of their evolution have no counterparts in the Phanerozoic. Among several, basically different stromatolite classifications known in the literature, the current version of the traditional system is most extensively employed in the study of Precambrian buildups. It is artificial in nature but follows conventional rules of paleontological classification and requires definition of a hierarchy of taxa: forms (form-species), groups (form-genera), and types. At present, there is a common understanding of stromatolite characteristics, providing the most efficient basis for definition and identification of the traditional system taxa. The types are based on the most general features of the buildup’s morphology. Groups are based on particular combinations of morphological characteristics defined by the mode of accretion and shape of stromatolite laminae (plus some general features of the microstructure in several cases). Forms are predominantly or exclusively based on microstructure. The stratigraphic potential of Precambrian stromatolites, revealed by empirical time-and-space distribution data of the distinctive assemblages, is evident. Stromatolites are not suitable for the subdivision of the Proterozoic, but provide paleontological characterization of units which have been defined by other methods and significantly contribute to their correlation especially within the limits of particular stromatolite provinces. Interprovincial stromatolite-based correlations are of lower reliability and time-resolution due to strong variations in the taxonomic composition of coeval stromatolite assemblages across provincial boundaries. Precambrian stromatolites demonstrate distinctive directional secular changes in taxonomic composition and diversity which were defined by the evolution of both global environmental and biological factors relevant to the construction and habitat restrictions of these biolites.

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  1. Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pyzhevsky 7, Moscow, 109017, Russia

    Mikail A. Semikhatov & Maria E. Raaben

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  1. Mikail A. Semikhatov
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  2. Maria E. Raaben
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  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Cardiff University, CF10 3YE, Cardiff, Wales, UK

    Robert E. Riding

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, University of California, 93106, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

    Stanley M. Awramik

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Semikhatov, M.A., Raaben, M.E. (2000). Proterozoic Stromatolite Taxonomy and Biostratigraphy. In: Riding, R.E., Awramik, S.M. (eds) Microbial Sediments. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04036-2_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04036-2_32

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