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Encyclopedia of Geobiology pp 189–201Cite as

Biosignatures in Rocks

  • Reference work entry

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Definition

Biosignatures are morphological, chemical (organic, elemental and/or mineral), and isotopic traces of organisms preserved in minerals, sediments, and rocks. They represent the physical presence of the organisms as well as evidence of their metabolic activities and metabolites.

The nature of biosignatures

In this entry, we review (1) the nature of biosignatures in rocks, (2) how they are produced, and (3) the relevance of biosignatures and their astrobiological implications. Examples of biosignatures from throughout the rock record are given. We will limit our discussion to microbial biosignatures.

Microorganisms are characterized by (1) structural components, such as cells, colonies, biofilms/mats, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS); (2) the chemical composition of the different structural elements, including organic molecules and other essential elements; and (3) their living processes, including metabolic activity leading to the fractionation of elements such as C,...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire CNRS, Université de Orléans, Rue Charles Sadron, 45071, Orléans, France

    Frances Westall & Barbara Cavalazzi

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  1. Frances Westall
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  2. Barbara Cavalazzi
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  1. University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Joachim Reitner  & Volker Thiel  & 

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Westall, F., Cavalazzi, B. (2011). Biosignatures in Rocks. In: Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_36

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