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. In the recent literature, scientists also use the terms “putative,” “possible,” “probable” to designate an increasing confidence in the biological origin (biogenicity) of a structure, molecule, or pattern, while “pseudofossil” is used for an umambiguous abiotic structure, molecule, or pattern. 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 non-biological structures). This requires also a good understanding of the physico-chemical conditions of formation and preservation of the structure (the geological context and taphonomy), and observations at several scales. This is a crucial point when looking for early traces of...
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Javaux, E.J. (2022). Dubiofossil. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_460-5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_460-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics
Publish with us
Chapter history
-
Latest
Dubiofossil- Published:
- 15 March 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_460-5
-
Original
Dubiofossil- Published:
- 05 May 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_460-4