North Pole Dome Stromatolite - Earliest Life on Earth - Authentic 3.48-Billion-Year Specimen

A North Pole Dome Stromatolite From Earth's Earliest Life

This North Pole Dome stromatolite is about 3.48 billion years old. It comes from the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is among the oldest fossil material on Earth.

Product Details

• SKU: 80-112-0199-201-40
• Specimen: North Pole Dome stromatolite fossil, about 5 mm across
• Age: About 3.48 billion years old
• Origin: North Pole Dome, Dresser Formation, Pilbara, Western Australia
• Display: Acrylic jar inside a glass-topped riker case, 4.5 in x 3.5 in
• Includes: Information card that serves as the certificate of authenticity

Layers Built by Microbes

A stromatolite is a layered structure made by microbial colonies. Mini Museum describes cyanobacteria in shallow pools that absorbed light and carbon dioxide. They secreted mucus and calcium carbonate that built the layers.

This stromatolite fossil records the earliest life on Earth, from a time before plants, animals or oxygen-rich skies.

The Dresser Formation

It sits in the Warrawoona Group of the East Pilbara. Teaching sources call it the oldest record of life on Earth. Its rocks have also sparked interest in searching for life on Mars.

Few objects in our Natural History Collection or Authentic Fossil Specimens are as old as this specimen.

Display and Care

Keep the jar sealed inside its case. The specimen is tiny, so view it under a magnifier.

About Earliest Life

Evidence of earliest life on Earth lies in rocks like these. A stromatolite fossil lets you hold that deep time in your palm.

For More Reading from the Web

• Explore the Dresser Formation and why geologists treat it as a record of earliest life. Earliest Record of Life, Australia - Teach the Earth
• Read the supplier's page on this specimen. Earliest Life North Pole Dome Stromatolite - Mini Museum