Middle Devonian (Givetian) pillow basalt and inter-pillow breccia from the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge in Germany were found to contain putative biogenic filaments that indicate that life once proliferated within these volcanic rocks. Mineralized filaments are found in carbonate amygdules (vesicles filled by carbonate cement) in the volcanic rock, where they started to form on the internal surface of the once water-filled vesicles. Biogenicity of the filaments is indicated by (1) their size and shape resembling modern microorganisms including a constant diameter along the length of curved filaments, (2) their independence of crystal faces or cleavage planes, (3) branching patterns reminiscent of modern microorganisms, and (4) their spatial clustering and preferential occurrence close to the margin of pillows and in the inter-pillow breccias. A time lag between the deposition of pillow basalt and the activity of endoliths is revealed by the sequence of carbonate cements filling the amygdules. The putative filamentous microorganisms thrived after the formation of early fibrous rim cement, but before later equant calcite spar filled most of the remaining porosity. Microbial clay authigenesis analogous to the encrustation of prokaryotes in modern iron-rich environments led to the preservation of filaments. The filaments predominantly consist of the clay minerals chamosite and illite. Having dwelled in water-filled vesicles, the Devonian basalt-hosted filaments apparently represent cryptoendoliths. This finding suggests that a previously unrecognized niche for life exists within volcanic rock.

中文翻译：

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泥盆纪枕玄武岩中的假定的隐岩层生活，德国莱茵河谷Schiefergebirge。

发现来自德国Rheinisches Schiefergebirge的中泥盆世（Givetian）枕形玄武岩和枕间角砾岩含有推测的生物成因细丝，表明这些火山岩中的生物曾经繁衍。矿化的长丝存在于火山岩中的碳酸盐扁桃体（由碳酸盐水泥填充的囊泡）中，并在曾经充水的囊泡的内表面开始形成。长丝的生物原性由（1）类似于现代微生物的大小和形状表示，包括沿着弯曲长丝长度的恒定直径;（2）它们对晶面或分裂平面的独立性;（3）分支模式让人想起现代微生物， （4）它们的空间聚集和优先发生在靠近枕头边缘和枕间角砾岩中。充填杏仁核的碳酸盐胶结剂序列揭示了枕形玄武岩的沉积与内结石活性之间的时间差。假定的丝状微生物在早期纤维状边缘胶结物形成后蓬勃发展，但在后来的等方解石晶石填充了大部分剩余的孔隙度之前蓬勃发展。微生物粘土的自生作用类似于在富含铁的现代环境中原核生物的结壳导致长丝的保存。这些长丝主要由粘土矿物硅藻土和伊利石组成。留在充满水的囊泡中，泥盆系玄武岩寄主的细丝显然代表隐岩层。这一发现表明，在火山岩中存在着一个以前无法认识的生命生态位。