Possible Palaeoproterozoic multicellular fossils from Gabon
Example of macroscopic structure referred to the Francevillian biota
The Francevillian biota (Also referred to as Gabon macrofossils, Gabonionta or Francevillian group fossils) are a collection of 2.1-billion-year-old Palaeoproterozoic macroscopic structures, controversially suggested to be fossils, known from the Francevillian B Formation in Gabon, a black shale province notable for its lack of any noticeable metamorphism.[1] The structures have been postulated by some authors to be evidence of the earliest form of multicellular life, and of eukaryotes.[1][2] They were discovered by an international team led by Moroccan-French geologist Abderrazak El Albani, of the University of Poitiers, France. While they have yet to be assigned to a formal taxonomic position, they have been informally and collectively referred to as the "Gabonionta", including by the Natural History Museum Vienna in 2014.[3] The status of the structures as fossils has been questioned.[4][5]
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The Francevillian basin
Preservation
Biota
History
Geology and localities
Francevillian B Formation
Francevillian A Formation
Oklo Mine
Fossils
Francevillian biota
(Also see Akouemma)
Evolutionary concepts
Great Oxidation Event
Shunga-Francevillian event
Huronian glaciation
Lomagundi event
Origin of Life
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^ abEl Albani, Abderrazak; Bengtson, Stefan; Canfield, Donald E.; Riboulleau, Armelle; Rollion Bard, Claire; Macchiarelli, Roberto; et al. (2014). "The 2.1 Ga Old Francevillian Biota: Biogenicity, Taphonomy and Biodiversity". PLOS ONE. 9 (6): e99438. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...999438E. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0099438. PMC 4070892. PMID 24963687.
^El Albani, Abderrazak (2023). "A search for life in Palaeoproterozoic marine sediments using Zn isotopes and geochemistry". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 623: 118169. Bibcode:2023E&PSL.61218169E. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118169. S2CID 258360867.
^Experiment Life – the Gabonionta. (Press Release). 4 March 2014. Naturhistorisches Museum Wien
^Javaux, Emmanuelle J.; Lepot, Kevin (January 2018). "The Paleoproterozoic fossil record: Implications for the evolution of the biosphere during Earth's middle-age". Earth-Science Reviews. 176: 68–86. Bibcode:2018ESRv..176...68J. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2017.10.001. hdl:20.500.12210/62416. S2CID 37069547. The identity of the [Francevillian biota] macrostructures remains unknown and their biogenicity is questionable
^Fakhraee, Mojtaba; Tarhan, Lidya G.; Reinhard, Christopher T.; Crowe, Sean A.; Lyons, Timothy W.; Planavsky, Noah J. (May 2023). "Earth's surface oxygenation and the rise of eukaryotic life: Relationships to the Lomagundi positive carbon isotope excursion revisited". Earth-Science Reviews. 240: 104398. Bibcode:2023ESRv..24004398F. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104398. S2CID 257761993.
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The Francevillianbiota (Also referred to as Gabon macrofossils, Gabonionta or Francevillian group fossils) are a collection of 2.1-billion-year-old Palaeoproterozoic...
Ediacaran biota. Cambrian explosion Large ornamented Ediacaran microfossil List of Ediacaran genera Abiogenesis Huainan biotaFrancevillianbiota, another...
formation contains possible fossils, including the macroscopic "FrancevillianBiota", which has been suggested by some authors to represent the oldest...
contains unmetamorphosed sediments. It is notable for containing the FrancevillianBiota, which are possibly the oldest multicellular life known. A natural...
shales of the Palaeoproterozoic such as the Francevillian B Formation, in Gabon, dubbed the "Francevillianbiota" which is dated at 2.1 billion years old...
Hydrasa laboratory (IC2MP - CNRS). He is known for describing the "FrancevillianBiota" from the Paleoproterozoic of Gabon, which he suggests represents...
of a series on The Francevillian basin Preservation Biota History Geology and localities Francevillian B Formation Francevillian A Formation Oklo Mine...
Bard, Claire; Macchiarelli, Roberto; et al. (2014). "The 2.1 Ga Old FrancevillianBiota: Biogenicity, Taphonomy and Biodiversity". PLOS ONE. 9 (6): e99438...
theories proposed, no evidence has been found to confirm any of them. Francevillianbiota: were they early multicellular organisms? Snowball Earth: what was...
Bard, Claire; Macchiarelli, Roberto; et al. (2014). "The 2.1 Ga Old FrancevillianBiota: Biogenicity, Taphonomy and Biodiversity". PLOS ONE. 9 (6): e99438...
structure – Lake and claimed impact structure in Karelia, northwest Russia Francevillianbiota – Possible Palaeoproterozoic multicellular fossils from Gabon Vredefort...
organisms at transcriptional regulatory level. The controversial Francevillianbiota fossils, dated to 2.1 Ga, are the earliest known fossil organisms...
of Earth 4600–539 million years ago Ediacaran biota – Life of the Ediacaran period Francevillianbiota – Possible Palaeoproterozoic multicellular fossils...
basin Francevillian B Formation Palaeoproterozoic Africa Gabon Possible earliest evidence for multicellularity in fossil record, known for Francevillian Biota...
of early growth stage Geosiphons. List of Ediacaran genera FrancevillianbiotaFrancevillian B Formation Wikispecies has information related to Horodyskia...
Bard, Claire; Macchiarelli, Roberto; et al. (2014). "The 2.1 Ga Old FrancevillianBiota: Biogenicity, Taphonomy and Biodiversity". PLOS ONE. 9 (6): e99438...
structural diversity 2.1 billion years ago and implications for the Francevillianbiota" (PDF). Geobiology. 16 (5): 476–497. Bibcode:2018Gbio...16..476A...
al. (2019) describe 2.1 billion-year-old fossils belonging to the Francevillianbiota of Gabon, including pyritized string-shaped structures interpreted...
multicellular organisms collectively referred to as the "Gabonionta" (Francevillian Group Fossil); Wopmay orogeny along western margin of Canadian Shield...
A.; El Albani, A. (2023). "Taphonomy of early life (2.1 Ga) in the francevillian basin (Gabon): Role of organic mineral interactions" (PDF). Precambrian...
burned away by oxygen). This drop in oxygen levels is called the Shunga-Francevillian event. Evidence for the event has been found globally in places such...
composed only of eukaryotic cells, and the earliest evidence for it is the Francevillian Group Fossils from 2,100 million years ago, although specialisation...
First known multicellular organisms collectively known as "Gabonionta" (Francevillian Group Fossil); Wopmay orogen along west border of the Canadian Shield...
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