''Collenia'' is
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, bl ...
that form a particular type of
stromatolites
Stromatolites () or stromatoliths () are layered sedimentary formations (microbialite) that are created mainly by photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria, and Pseudomonadota (formerly proteobacteria). Th ...
.
Description
''Collenia'' are stromatolites made up of convex layers flattened in the center, forming columnar colonies. The microorganisms involved were likely photosynthetic bacteria expiring oxygen.
[Carroll Lane Fenton,Pat Vickers Rich,Mildred Adams Fenton,Thomas H. V. Ric]
The Fossil Book: A Record of Prehistoric Life
/ref>
Fossil record
''Collenia'' stromatolites were very common in the late Precambrian
The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of th ...
, about 2.2 to 2.4 billion years ago.
References
External links
Geological Survey Professional Paper, Volume 669
* Spencer G. Lucas,Justin A. Spielmann,Patricia M. Hester,Jason P. Kenworthy,Vincent L. Santucc
Americas Antiquities: 100 Years of Managing Fossils on Federal Lands
* [https://books.google.it/books?id=s6oPAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA133&lpg=PA133&dq=Collenia+fossil&source=bl&ots=24X3GX-0W6&sig=nZE52OkD5zusMh_dKXOMOcQrHPY&hl=it&sa=X&ved=0CF4Q6AEwCWoVChMIoND6kqOryAIVAocaCh03ZQcv#v=onepage&q=Collenia%20fossil&f=false Index of Generic Names of Fossil Plants, 1820-1950]
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5147044
Proterozoic life
Cyanobacteria genera, †Collenia
Prehistoric bacteria