ArticleCommunications earth & environment2026
Ichnofossils in volcanic glass from palaeoproterozoic hydrothermal vents were burrowed by microorganisms probably seeking phosphate.
Article in Communications earth & environment, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Ichnofossils in basaltic glass are putative microscopic trace fossils occurring on modern seafloor and throughout Earth history. While their biological origin remains debated, it is unknown why microorganisms thrive in volcanic glass. Here we show ichnofossils associated with biosignatures from sedimentary interbeds of pillow basalt in the ~ 1870 million years old Flaherty Formation, Belcher Group, Canada. These rocks are associated with metre-size, pinnacle-shaped structures of silicified basalt, pahoehoe basalt with paleo-caliche, and isolated pods of gossan indicating shallow marine hydrothermal venting. Trails of spheroidal ichnofossils composed of titanite and organic matter surround abundant nanoscopic-size apatite and lepidocrocite, suggesting they caused rock dissolution to obtain phosphate. Stable isotopes provide complementary biosignatures for possible chemolithotrophy. While there is evidence for abiotic carbon-based reactions, the biological origin of spheroidal ichnofossils is supported by
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