Ken,
I am certainly interested in paleobiofilms (and hopefully others are as well).
Certainly there is evidence of their role in stromatolites and more recent
forms of biomineralization. We published a study showing how leaf surface
biofilms may nucleate the fossilization process of leaves (Dunn, KA, RJC
McLean, GR Upchurch, Jr., and RL Folk. 1997. Enhancement of leaf fossilization
potential by bacterial biofilms, Geology 25: 1119-1122).
>From an evolutionary perspective, it would also be very interesting to
see how
early, and in what form, microorganisms first adopted the biofilm mode of
growth. Since biofilm formation is evident in archaea in places such as
Yellowstone, it must be a very old (and highly successful) mode of growth.
Best wishes,
Bob McLean
>===== Original Message From ken_leonard at NOSPAM.mindspring.com (Ken Leonard)
=====
>Howdy;
>
>Is anyone in this group involved with paleo-biofilms, particularly in
>Cambrian or terminal Proterozoic?
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>Ken Leonard
>web: cambrian_locale.home.mindspring.com [no www. prefix, don't omit the
>underscore]
>e-mail: cambrian_locale at NOSPAM.mindspring.com [edit it to make it work]
>Paleontology: Life is older than dirt.
>
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RJC (Bob) McLean
Department of Biology
Southwest Texas State University
San Marcos, TX 78666
phone: (512)245-3365
FAX: (512)245-8713
Email: RM12 at swt.edu
---
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