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Dubiofossil

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

A dubiofossil is a problematic structure that looks like a fossil but whose biological origin is uncertain or ambiguous. Several physical and chemical processes may produce structures resembling biological structures. Detailed analyses and criteria of biogenicity have to be applied on the dubiofossils to move them to the category of fossils (biogenic or biological structures) or pseudofossils (abiogenic or nonbiological structures). This is a crucial point when looking for early traces of life on Earth or for extraterrestrial life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geology Department, Palaeobiogeology-Palaeobotany-Palaeopalynology, University of Liège, 17 allée du 6 Août B18 Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Emmanuelle J. Javaux

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  1. Emmanuelle J. Javaux
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Correspondence to Emmanuelle J. Javaux .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Javaux, E.J. (2014). Dubiofossil. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_460-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_460-4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Dubiofossil
    Published:
    15 March 2023

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_460-5

  2. Original

    Dubiofossil
    Published:
    05 May 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_460-4

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