Microbialites provide geological evidence of one of Earth's oldest ecosystems, potentially recording long-standing interactions between coevolving life and the environment. Here, we focus on microbialite accretion and growth and consider how environmental and microbial forces that characterize living ecosystems in Shark Bay and the Bahamas interact to form an initial microbialite architecture, which in turn establishes distinct evolutionary pathways. A conceptual three-dimensional model is developed for microbialite accretion that emphasizes the importance of a dynamic balance between extrinsic and intrinsic factors in determining the initial architecture. We then explore how early taphonomic and diagenetic processes modify the initial architecture, culminating in various styles of preservation in the rock record. The timing of lithification of microbial products is critical in determining growth patterns and preservation potential. Study results have shown that all microbialites are not created equal; the unique evolutionary history of an individual microbialite matters.

中文翻译：

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微生物岩的增生和生长：鲨鱼湾和巴哈马群岛的经验教训

微生物岩提供了地球上最古老的生态系统之一的地质证据，可能记录了共同进化的生命与环境之间长期存在的相互作用。在这里，我们重点关注微生物岩的增生和生长，并考虑鲨鱼湾和巴哈马生物生态系统特征的环境和微生物力量如何相互作用，形成最初的微生物岩结构，进而建立独特的进化途径。针对微生物岩增生开发了一个概念性三维模型，该模型强调了外在因素和内在因素之间动态平衡在确定初始结构中的重要性。然后，我们探索早期的埋藏和成岩过程如何改变最初的结构，最终形成岩石记录的各种保存方式。微生物产物石化的时间对于确定生长模式和保存潜力至关重要。研究结果表明，并非所有微生物岩生来都是平等的；单个微生物的独特进化史很重要。