Manganese Oxides Resembling Microbial Fabrics and Their Implications for Recognizing Inorganically Preserved Microfossils.

In the search for microfossils of early life on Earth, the demonstration of biogenicity is paramount. Traditionally, only syngenetic structures with cellular elaboration, hollow sheaths/cell walls, and indigenous kerogen have been considered bona fide fossils. Recent reports of inorganically preserved microfossils represent a shift from this practice.