Newly discovered fossil imprints of ancient microbial colonies suggest that researchers need to broaden their search for the oldest life to deeper and more unstable areas.
The wrinkled fossil structures, found in the Central High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, are imprinted on turbidites, which are deposits laid down by underwater landslides. The researchers were surprised to see the imprints on these turbidites, because most microbial mats today grow in shallow water, where photosynthetic bacteria can draw energy from light filtering through the waves.
