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Comparative Organic Geochemical Studies of Recent Algal Mats and Sediments of Algal Origin

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Book cover Biogeochemistry of Ancient and Modern Environments

Abstract

Organic geochemical studies of contemporary algal mats and organisms play a very important role in furthering our understanding of the history of marine and freshwater sediments of predominantly algal and bacterial origin. Blue-green algae are of special interest because of their ability to survive under conditions, such as hypersaline and reducing environments, which favour the preservation of organic matter. Further interest in contemporary algae arises from the search for the origins of unicellular life on earth. Micro-structures referred to as exhibiting “algal-like” and “filamentous” morphologies occur in cherts from South Africa that are older than 3 Gyr (Schopf and Barghoorn, 1967).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Fuel Geoscience Unit, PO Box 136, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2113, Australia

    R. P. Philp

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  1. R. P. Philp
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Baas Becking Geobiological Research Laboratory, Canberra, Australia

    P. A. Trudinger  & M. R. Walter  & 

  2. University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    B. J. Ralph

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© 1980 Australian Academy of Science

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Philp, R.P. (1980). Comparative Organic Geochemical Studies of Recent Algal Mats and Sediments of Algal Origin. In: Trudinger, P.A., Walter, M.R., Ralph, B.J. (eds) Biogeochemistry of Ancient and Modern Environments. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-48739-2_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-48739-2_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-48741-5

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