You know, I never knew that the term stromatolite is derived from the Greek for “Stoney Carpet”..
Rocking the Cradle of Life provides a brief explanation of stromatolites, and has an interesting interview with an Oxford Researcher… There are some good mineral deposit tie-ins with this article..
When did life begin? One evidential clue stems from the fossil records in Western Australia, although whether these layered sediments are biological or chemical has spawned a spirited debate. Oxford researcher, Nicola McLoughlin, describes some of the issues in contention.