Nuvvuagittuq "Microfossils" Canada [17098]

This ancient rock from the Nuvvuagittuq Supracrustal Belt provides may provide valuable insights into the early history of life on our planet. The hydrothermal jaspilite “microfossil locality” may offer definitive evidence for the emergence of life on our planet ~ 4.2 Ga. Some scientists think that the earliest cells developed in volcanically active hydrothermal environments.

Size of Specimen: 53mm L  X 42mm W X 4mm D, Weight: 24 grams

This specimen ships with a Certificate of Authenticity, tag, tag stand and information about the specimen. This specimen was legally obtained and is a very rare specimen. It was lightly sprayed for photographic purposes.

This science-based specimen makes a terrific addition to collections on ancient microbial ecosystem! Only a few available.

1. The Nuvvuagittuq Supracrustal Belt (NSB)

   • Imagine a special place in Canada called the Nuvvuagittuq Supracrustal Belt. It’s like a time capsule from billions of years ago.
   • This place used to be part of the Earth’s early oceanic crust, like a rocky layer under the sea.
   • Inside the rocks here, scientists found clues about what might be the oldest evidence of life on our planet.

2. Microfossils and Rosettes: Ancient Clues

   • Scientists looked at tiny pieces of rock from the NSB using special microscopes.
   • They discovered something amazing: tiny structures that looked like rosettes (kind of like flower petals)!
   • These rosettes were super small—only 50 to 200 micrometers (that’s really tiny!).
   • When they looked even closer, they found minerals like calcite, hematite, quartz, magnetite, and apatite. These minerals were like the building blocks of life.

3. Iron-Metabolizing Bacteria

   • Now, here’s where it gets cool! Imagine ancient bacteria living near hot underwater vents.
   • These bacteria loved iron, and they formed long, tube-like structures made of iron (like tiny pipes).
   • The rosettes in the NSB rocks? Scientists think they’re leftovers from similar bacteria that lived billions of years ago!
   • So, these ancient bacteria might be some of the oldest living things ever discovered.

4. Life’s Origins and Astrobiology

   • The evidence hints that life started near these underwater vents around 3.7 billion years ago (that’s older than dinosaurs!).
   • Maybe life even began as early as 4.29 billion years ago—way before stromatolites and dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
   • Scientists now study these ancient vents to learn about life’s beginnings and even look for signs of life beyond Earth!

So, next time you look at a rock, remember that it might hold secrets about our planet’s earliest inhabitants. This specimen is certainly of interest to those with valuable and intriguing rock and mineral collections.