Biology
Scientific paper
Aug 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008spie.7097e..29s&link_type=abstract
Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology XI. Edited by Hoover, Richard B.; Levin, Gilbert V.; Rozanov, Alexei Y.; Da
Biology
Scientific paper
Stromatolites offer a unique fossil record across 3.5 Ga of microbial community evolution within the context of an evolving Earth. Our interest is in developing quantitative metrics to follow the evolution of stromatolite morphological complexity. Adopting the canonical definition of complexity as the emergence of previously unseen properties in a dynamic phenomenon, we have previously proposed in these proceedings that laminations are the defining emergent property of stromatolites and we have employed a set of statistical information metrics to quantify laminae complexity in two spatial dimensions. We now demonstrate computer x-ray tomography of stromatolites and discuss the advantages of this 3D volume density distribution technique for characterizing stromatolite samples. CT imaging makes it possible to create a virtual stromatolite, enabling both research and educational efforts previously hampered by the costs of obtaining, preparing, and distributing precious Archean stromatolite fossils. We discuss recent advances in instrument miniaturization making it feasible to provide nondestructive 3D density and elemental abundance information on endolithic geobiological targets during future manned and unmanned missions to Mars.
Awramik Stanley M.
Nesson John
Storrie-Lombardi Michael C.
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