All articles tagged with #turbidites
Researchers in Morocco found wrinkle-like textures in 180-million-year-old deep-sea turbidites that likely formed from chemosynthetic microbial mats, not sunlight-driven algae, suggesting an ancient, dark-ocean ecosystem preserved in the rocks and prompting a rethink of wrinkle structures as indicators of life beyond sunlit waters.
A Moroccan team found wrinkle-like fossil structures in ancient turbidites, likely formed by chemosynthetic microbial mats buried by underwater landslides. The discovery suggests early life could thrive in deep, dark oceans without sunlight, challenging the notion that photosynthesis-controlled shallow waters were the cradle of life; published in Geology (2025).
Scientists found wrinkle-like fossil imprints in 180-million-year-old turbidites in Morocco's Central High Atlas, likely formed by ancient chemosynthetic microbial communities rather than photosynthetic life, suggesting deep-water habitats preserved in rocks may hold clues to early life and expanding where researchers search for oldest microbial life.
Geologists report wrinkle-like textures in 180-million-year-old deep-sea turbidites in Morocco that are biotic, formed by chemosynthetic microbial mats in sunless, low-oxygen waters. Carbon-rich layers beneath the wrinkles and modern deep-sea analogs support a biotic origin, suggesting such textures can record ancient life in deep-water settings and may widen where researchers search for early Earth life.