Discover the ancient terrestrial life with the Moodies Group fossil microbial mats - the oldest traces of land-dwelling organisms ever found - from the Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa! This large display specimen dates back about 3.22 billion years and offers an extraordinary view into early microbial life on Earth.

Known as the "Moodies crinkles," these siliciclastic terrestrial mats from the Dycedale Syncline are distinct from their aquatic counterpart, the Saddleback Syncline fossil microbial mats. What sets them apart is their remarkable morphological transition from an aquatic to a terrestrial environment.

This transition required significant structural and morphological changes. The microstructures of the Moodies crinkles reveal a dense, interwoven network of fine-grained particles entangled with filamentous strands, providing a firm grip for various biofilm forms. Unlike the mats formed by marine-dwelling microbial life (Saddleback Syncline), these preserved carbonaceous mats from land-dwelling organisms are notably thicker.

The Moodies crinkles are not just remarkable in their own right - they also served as the ancestors of the renowned stromatolites. Delve into the captivating story of how life made its monumental shift from water to land, and view the incredible evolution of these ancient microbial communities with this scientific geological specimen!

Size of Moodies Crinkles: 22cm L X 13.2cm W X 5.2cm D; Weight: 2,452.5 grams or 5.4 lbs.

Ships with Certificate of Authenticity, tag, tag stand, scientific information and In Situ pictures. Display stand and photo cube not included. The front was lightly coated with water for photographic purposes.

The Moodies crinkles was legally collected.

Add this spectacular one-of-a-kind geological specimen from one of Earth's first land-dwelling terrestrial mats from Barberton Land, South Africa, today and make your collection - phenomenal!

This scientific material is Guaranteed Authentic. It was professionally and legally collected and arrives with a Certificate of Authenticity.