Fossil Stromatolite Colonys from Kansas # 1706, 1.7 pounds/28.3 oz.

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Stromatolite Colony from KansasCollectible, Educational, Blue Green Algae ColonyDescriptionA stromatolite (which literally means, layered rock) is a limestone dome created by blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). The algae, which have long, sticky filaments, form colonies that trapped sediment floating in the sea water. The sediment, in turn, reacted with the calcite (calcium carbonate) in the water to form limestone. In the gallery a picture of a stromatolite that has been cut in half and you can clearly see the spherical structure of the fossil. Despite the fact that they dominated the Earth's environment during its early evolution there are only a hand full of stromatolite beds in existence today. One of the most notable is Shark Bay, a UNeSCO World Heritage Site in Australia, pictured in photo gallery.Collecting Location & AgeThis particular specimen was collected on private property fron Brown County in NE Kansas. It formed during the Pennsylvanian Period of the Carboniferous Age (360 to 298 MYA) and is considered young when compared to some of its older ancestors that are upwards of 2 billion years old. When this fossil was first discovered in Douglas County, Kansas it was mistaken for a sponge and given the name Somphospongia sp. Despite the fact that it does resemble a sponge it was later correctly identified as a stromatolite. read more

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