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7.8 Traces of Life

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Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation

Part of the book series: Frontiers in Earth Sciences ((FRONTIERS))

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Abstract

When and how life on Earth started is still an open question. Biochemical fingerprints stored in the ancient rock record indicate the presence of traces of life back to some of the oldest sedimentary rocks on the planet. The Earth has thus harboured life throughout most of its geologic history, and biological processes have contributed significantly to shaping the environmental conditions on the surface of the planet. Tracking the nature of ancient life using morphological, mineralogical, chemical and isotopic proxies in the rock record on Earth needs, however, to surmount a number of obstacles. Most important are the effects of post-depositional alteration of the sedimentary host rocks due to exposure to metamorphic temperatures and pressures and metasomatism during the protracted time before their present exposure. Diagenetic and metamorphic overprints may have resulted in recrystallisation of the original mineral assemblages and deformation of the original textural features in the sedimentary rocks, in many cases blurring the biologic signatures and jeopardizing the reliable interpretation of the nature of the lifeform.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Survey of Norway, 6315, Sluppen, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway

    Aivo Lepland & Victor A. Melezhik

  2. Department of Earth Science and Centre for Geobiology, Allegaten 41, Bergen, N-5007, Norway

    Nicola McLoughlin & Harald Furnes

  3. Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen, Allegaten 41, Bergen, N-5007, Norway

    Victor A. Melezhik

  4. Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride, Glasgow, G75 0QF, Scotland, UK

    Alex T. Brasier

  5. Institute of Geology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushkinskaya 11, 185910, Petrozavodsk, Russia

    Pavel V. Medvedev

  6. Department of Geology, University of Liège, 17 allée du 6 Août B18, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Emmanuelle J. Javaux

  7. Département de Géologie, Palaeobiogeology-Palaeobotany-Palaeopalynology, Université de Liège, 4000, Liege, Belgium

    Kevin Lepot

  8. Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Equipe Géobiosphère Actuelle et Primitive, 1 rue Jussieu, 75238, cedex 5 Paris, France

    Mark van Zuilen

  9. Department of Geosciences, University of Oulu, 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland

    Eero J. Hanski

  10. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, 0225 La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0225, USA

    Hubert Staudigel

  11. Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E25-633, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    Roger E. Summons

  12. Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstr. 24, 48149, Münster, Germany

    Christian J. Illing

  13. Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Corrensstrasse 24, 48149, Münster, Germany

    Harald Strauss

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Survey of Norway, Centre of Excellence in Geobiology, University of Bergen, Leiv Eirikssons vei 39, Trondheim, 7491, Norway

    Victor A. Melezhik

  2. , Department of Earth Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9AL, United Kingdom

    Anthony R. Prave

  3. , Department of Geosciences, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90014, Finland

    Eero J. Hanski

  4. , Environmental Research Centre, Scottish Universities, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, United Kingdom

    Anthony E. Fallick

  5. Geological Survey of Norway, Sluppen, Trondheim, 7491, Norway

    Aivo Lepland

  6. , Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, Deike Building, University Park 535, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA

    Lee R. Kump

  7. , Institut für Geologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Univ. Münster, Corrensstrasse 24, Münster, 48149, Germany

    Harald Strauss

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Lepland, A. et al. (2013). 7.8 Traces of Life. In: Melezhik, V., et al. Reading the Archive of Earth’s Oxygenation. Frontiers in Earth Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29670-3_8

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