Isuasphaera isua (Pflug) revisited

Peter W.U. Appel; Stephen Moorbath; John S. Myers

doi:10.1016/S0301-9268(03)00101-3

Isuasphaera isua (Pflug) revisited

Peter W.U. Appel
, Stephen Moorbath
, John S. Myers

Department of Mapping and Mineral Resources

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Spherical objects, identified as microfossils and named Isuasphaera isua (Pflug), were reported in 1978 from a chert in the 3.7-3.8 Ga Isua Greenstone Belt (IGB). Soon afterwards the biological nature of these objects was questioned on a number of grounds by several authors.

Following renewed, recent claims for biogenicity, the locality has been revisited and the host-rock (metamorphosed chert) to the putative microfossils re-examined. Extreme stretching deformation of the metachert cannot possibly have preserved syn-depositional spherical objects. We conclude that the objects (whether biological or not) are entirely post-tectonic and probably result from pre-Quaternary weathering.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	309-312
Number of pages	4
Journal	Precambrian Research
Volume	126
Issue number	3-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-9268(03)00101-3
Publication status	Published - 10 Oct 2003

Keywords

Isua Greenstone Belt
Isuasphaera isua
Microfossils

Programme Area

Programme Area 4: Mineral Resources

Access to Document

10.1016/S0301-9268(03)00101-3

Cite this

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title = "Isuasphaera isua (Pflug) revisited",

abstract = "Spherical objects, identified as microfossils and named Isuasphaera isua (Pflug), were reported in 1978 from a chert in the 3.7-3.8 Ga Isua Greenstone Belt (IGB). Soon afterwards the biological nature of these objects was questioned on a number of grounds by several authors. Following renewed, recent claims for biogenicity, the locality has been revisited and the host-rock (metamorphosed chert) to the putative microfossils re-examined. Extreme stretching deformation of the metachert cannot possibly have preserved syn-depositional spherical objects. We conclude that the objects (whether biological or not) are entirely post-tectonic and probably result from pre-Quaternary weathering.",

keywords = "Isua Greenstone Belt, Isuasphaera isua, Microfossils",

author = "Appel, \{Peter W.U.\} and Stephen Moorbath and Myers, \{John S.\}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the Danish Natural Science Research Council, the Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland, and the Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum, Nuuk, Greenland, for generous support of the Isua Multidisciplinary Research Project, to which this is a contribution. This article is published with the permission of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland.",

year = "2003",

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doi = "10.1016/S0301-9268(03)00101-3",

language = "English",

volume = "126",

pages = "309--312",

journal = "Precambrian Research",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Isuasphaera isua (Pflug) revisited

AU - Appel, Peter W.U.

AU - Moorbath, Stephen

AU - Myers, John S.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the Danish Natural Science Research Council, the Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland, and the Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum, Nuuk, Greenland, for generous support of the Isua Multidisciplinary Research Project, to which this is a contribution. This article is published with the permission of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland.

PY - 2003/10/10

Y1 - 2003/10/10

N2 - Spherical objects, identified as microfossils and named Isuasphaera isua (Pflug), were reported in 1978 from a chert in the 3.7-3.8 Ga Isua Greenstone Belt (IGB). Soon afterwards the biological nature of these objects was questioned on a number of grounds by several authors. Following renewed, recent claims for biogenicity, the locality has been revisited and the host-rock (metamorphosed chert) to the putative microfossils re-examined. Extreme stretching deformation of the metachert cannot possibly have preserved syn-depositional spherical objects. We conclude that the objects (whether biological or not) are entirely post-tectonic and probably result from pre-Quaternary weathering.

AB - Spherical objects, identified as microfossils and named Isuasphaera isua (Pflug), were reported in 1978 from a chert in the 3.7-3.8 Ga Isua Greenstone Belt (IGB). Soon afterwards the biological nature of these objects was questioned on a number of grounds by several authors. Following renewed, recent claims for biogenicity, the locality has been revisited and the host-rock (metamorphosed chert) to the putative microfossils re-examined. Extreme stretching deformation of the metachert cannot possibly have preserved syn-depositional spherical objects. We conclude that the objects (whether biological or not) are entirely post-tectonic and probably result from pre-Quaternary weathering.

KW - Isua Greenstone Belt

KW - Isuasphaera isua

KW - Microfossils

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0348111511

U2 - 10.1016/S0301-9268(03)00101-3

DO - 10.1016/S0301-9268(03)00101-3

M3 - Article

SN - 0301-9268

VL - 126

SP - 309

EP - 312

JO - Precambrian Research

JF - Precambrian Research

IS - 3-4

ER -

Isuasphaera isua (Pflug) revisited

Abstract

Keywords

Programme Area

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