Pyritic stromatolites from the Paleoarchean Dresser Formation, Pilbara Craton: Resolving biogenicity and hydrothermally influenced ecosystem dynamics.

This study investigates the paleobiological significance of pyritic stromatolites from the 3.48 billion-year-old Dresser Formation, Pilbara Craton. By combining paleoenvironmental analyses with observations from well-preserved stromatolites in newly obtained drill cores, the research reveals stratiform and columnar to domal pyritic structures with wavy to wrinkly laminations and crest thickening, hosted within facies variably influenced by syn-depositional hydrothermal activity. The columnar and domal stromatolites occur in strata with clearly distinguishable primary depositional textures. Mineralogical variability and fine-scale interference textures between the microbialites and the enclosing sediment highlight interplays between microbial and depositional processes. The stromatolites consist of organomineralization - nanoporous pyrite and microspherulitic barite - hosting significant thermally mature organic matter (OM). This includes filamentous organic microstructures encased within nanoporous pyrite, resembling the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) of microbes. These findings imply biogenicity and support the activity of microbial life in a volcano-sedimentary environment with hydrothermal activity and evaporative cycles. Coupled changes in stromatolite morphology and host facies suggest growth in diverse niches, from dynamic, hydrothermally influenced shallow-water environments to restricted brine pools strongly enriched in SO 4 2 - $$ {\mathrm{SO}}_4^{2-} $$ from seawater and hydrothermal activity. These observations, along with S stable isotope data indicating influence by S metabolisms, and accumulations of biologically significant metals and metalloids (Ni and As) within the microbialites, help constrain microbial processes. Columnar to domal stromatolites in dynamic, hydrothermally influenced shallow water deposits likely formed by microbial communities dominated by phototrophs. Stratiform pyritic structures within barite-rich strata may reflect the prevalence of chemotrophs near hydrothermal venting, where hydrothermal activity and microbial processes influenced barite precipitation. Rapid pyrite precipitation, a putative taphonomic process for preserving microbial remnants, is attributed to microbial sulfate reduction and reduced S sourced from hydrothermal activity. In conclusion, this research underscores the biogenicity of the Dresser stromatolites and advances our understanding of microbial ecosystems in Earth's early history.

Distinctive microfossil supports early Paleoproterozoic rise in complex cellular organisation.

The great oxidation event (GOE), ~2.4 billion years ago, caused fundamental changes to the chemistry of Earth's surface environments. However, the effect of these changes on the biosphere is unknown, due to a worldwide lack of well-preserved fossils from this time. Here, we investigate exceptionally preserved, large spherical aggregate (SA) microfossils permineralised in chert from the c. 2.4 Ga Turee Creek Group in Western Australia. Field and petrographic observations, Raman spectroscopic mapping, and in situ carbon isotopic analyses uncover insights into the morphology, habitat, reproduction and metabolism of this unusual form, whose distinctive, SA morphology has no known counterpart in the fossil record. Comparative analysis with microfossils from before the GOE reveals the large SA microfossils represent a step-up in cellular organisation. Morphological comparison to extant micro-organisms indicates the SAs have more in common with coenobial algae than coccoidal bacteria, emphasising the complexity of this microfossil form. The remarkable preservation here provides a unique window into the biosphere, revealing an increase in the complexity of life coinciding with the GOE.

Bacterial and archaeal community distributions and cosmopolitanism across physicochemically diverse hot springs.

Terrestrial hot springs harbor diverse microbial communities whose compositions are shaped by the wide-ranging physico-chemistries of individual springs. The effect of enormous physico-chemical differences on bacterial and archaeal distributions and population structures is little understood. We therefore analysed the prevalence and relative abundance of bacteria and archaea in the sediments (n = 76) of hot spring features, in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (New Zealand), spanning large differences in major anion water chemistry, pH (2.0-7.5), and temperature (17.5-92.9 °C). Community composition, based on 16S rRNA amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) was strongly influenced by both temperature and pH. However, certain lineages characterized diverse hot springs. At the domain level, bacteria and archaea shared broadly equivalent community abundances across physico-chemically diverse springs, despite slightly lower bacteria-to-archaea ratios and microbial 16S rRNA gene concentrations at higher temperatures. Communities were almost exclusively dominated by Proteobacteria, Euryarchaeota or Crenarchaeota. Eight archaeal and bacterial ASVs from Thermoplasmatales, Desulfurellaceae, Mesoaciditogaceae and Acidithiobacillaceae were unusually prevalent (present in 57.9-84.2% of samples) and abundant (1.7-12.0% sample relative abundance), and together comprised 44% of overall community abundance. Metagenomic analyses generated multiple populations associated with dominant ASVs, and showed characteristic traits of each lineage for sulfur, nitrogen and hydrogen metabolism. Differences in metabolic gene composition and genome-specific metabolism delineated populations from relatives. Genome coverage calculations showed that populations associated with each lineage were distributed across a physicochemically broad range of hot springs. Results imply that certain bacterial and archaeal lineages harbor different population structures and metabolic potentials for colonizing diverse hot spring environments.

Biogeochemistry of Recently Fossilized Siliceous Hot Spring Sinters from Yellowstone, USA.

Active hot springs are dynamic geobiologically active environments. Heat- and element-enriched fluids form hot spring sinter deposits that are inhabited by microbial and macroscopic eukaryotic communities, but it is unclear how variable heat, fluid circulation, and mineralization within hot spring systems affect the preservation of organic matter in sinters. We present geological, petrographic, and organic geochemical data from fossilized hot spring sinters (<13 Ka) from three distinct hot spring fields of Yellowstone National Park. The aims of this study were to examine the preservation of hydrocarbons and discern whether the hydrocarbons in these samples were derived from in situ communities or transported by hydrothermal fluids. Organic geochemistry reveals the presence of n-alkanes, methylalkanes, hopanes, and other terpanes, and the distribution of methylheptadecanes is compared to published observations of community composition in extant hot springs with similar geochemistry. Unexpectedly, hopanes have a thermally mature signal, and Raman spectroscopy confirms that the kerogen in some samples has nearly reached the oil window, despite never having been buried. Our results suggest that organic matter maturation occurred through below-surface processes in the hotter, deeper parts of the hydrothermal system and that this exogenous material was then transported and emplaced within the sinter.

Taphonomy of microorganisms and microbial microtextures at sulfidic hydrothermal vents: A case study from the Roman Ruins black smokers, Eastern Manus Basin.

Biological activity at deep-sea hydrothermal chimneys is driven by chemotrophic microorganisms that metabolize chemicals from the venting high-temperature fluids. Understanding taphonomy and microbial microtextures in such environments is a necessity for micropaleontological and palaeoecological research. This study examines fossilized microorganisms and related microtextures in a recent black smoker from the Roman Ruins hydrothermal vent site, Eastern Manus Basin offshore of Papua New Guinea. Whereas the center of the examined sulfide chimney is dominated by high-temperature mineralogy (chalcopyrite and dendritic sphalerite), filamentous and coccoidal biomorphs occur in an outer, warm zone of mixing between hydrothermal fluids and seawater, which is indicated by their occurrence within colloform and botryoidal pyrite of barite-pyrite coprecipitates. Both morphotypes can be interpreted as thermophilic microorganisms based on their occurrence in a high-temperature habitat. Their separate (non-commensal) occurrence hints at sensitivities to microenvironmental conditions, which is expectable for strong temperature, pH, and redox gradients at the walls of deep-sea hydrothermal chimneys. Whereas both morphotypes experienced mild thermal overprint, taphonomic differences exist: (i) spaces left by cells in filamentous fossils are predominately filled by silica, whereas inter/extracellular features (crosswalls/septae and outer sheaths) are pyritized; (ii) coccoidal fossils show both silica- and pyrite-infilled interiors, and generally better preservation of cell walls. These different manifestations presumably relate to an interplay between microenvironmental and biological factors, potentially contrasting metabolisms, and differences in cell wall chemistries of distinct bacteria and/or archaea. A further hypothesis is that the coccoidal features represent biofilm-forming organisms, whose organic matter derivates contributed to the formation of intimately associated wavy and wrinkly carbonaceous laminations that are at least locally distinguishable from the texture of the surrounding pyrite. Hence, the presented data provide evidence that microtextures of microbiota from hydrothermal systems can have a similar significance for palaeobiological research as those from sedimentary environments.

Dehydration Enhances Prebiotic Lipid Remodeling and Vesicle Formation in Acidic Environments.

The encapsulation of genetic polymers inside lipid bilayer compartments (vesicles) is a vital step in the emergence of cell-based life. However, even though acidic conditions promote many reactions required for generating prebiotic building blocks, prebiotically relevant lipids tend to form denser aggregates at acidic pHs rather than prebiotically useful vesicles that exhibit sufficient solute encapsulation. Here, we describe how dehydration/rehydration (DR) events, a prebiotically relevant physicochemical process known to promote polymerization reactions, can remodel dense lipid aggregates into thin-walled vesicles capable of RNA encapsulation even at acidic pHs. Furthermore, DR events appear to favor the encapsulation of RNA within thin-walled vesicles over more lipid-rich vesicles, thus conferring such vesicles a selective advantage.

Influence of Metal Ions on Model Protoamphiphilic Vesicular Systems: Insights from Laboratory and Analogue Studies.

Metal ions strongly affect the self-assembly and stability of membranes composed of prebiotically relevant amphiphiles (protoamphiphiles). Therefore, evaluating the behavior of such amphiphiles in the presence of ions is a crucial step towards assessing their potential as model protocell compartments. We have recently reported vesicle formation by N-acyl amino acids (NAAs), an interesting class of protoamphiphiles containing an amino acid linked to a fatty acid via an amide linkage. Herein, we explore the effect of ions on the self-assembly and stability of model N-oleoyl glycine (NOG)-based membranes. Microscopic analysis showed that the blended membranes of NOG and Glycerol 1-monooleate (GMO) were more stable than pure NOG vesicles, both in the presence of monovalent and divalent cations, with the overall vesicle stability being 100-fold higher in the presence of a monovalent cation. Furthermore, both pure NOG and NOG + GMO mixed systems were able to self-assemble into vesicles in natural water samples containing multiple ions that were collected from active hot spring sites. Our study reveals that several aspects of the metal ion stability of NAA-based membranes are comparable to those of fatty acid-based systems, while also confirming the robustness of compositionally heterogeneous membranes towards high metal ion concentrations. Pertinently, the vesicle formation by NAA-based systems in terrestrial hot spring samples indicates the conduciveness of these low ionic strength freshwater systems for facilitating prebiotic membrane-assembly processes. This further highlights their potential to serve as a plausible niche for the emergence of cellular life on the early Earth.

Genomic adaptations enabling Acidithiobacillus distribution across wide-ranging hot spring temperatures and pHs.

BACKGROUND: Terrestrial hot spring settings span a broad spectrum of physicochemistries. Physicochemical parameters, such as pH and temperature, are key factors influencing differences in microbial composition across diverse geothermal areas. Nonetheless, analysis of hot spring pools from the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), New Zealand, revealed that some members of the bacterial genus, Acidithiobacillus, are prevalent across wide ranges of hot spring pHs and temperatures. To determine the genomic attributes of Acidithiobacillus that inhabit such diverse conditions, we assembled the genomes of 19 uncultivated hot spring Acidithiobacillus strains from six geothermal areas and compared these to 37 publicly available Acidithiobacillus genomes from various habitats. RESULTS: Analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons from 138 samples revealed that Acidithiobacillus comprised on average 11.4 ± 16.8% of hot spring prokaryotic communities, with three Acidithiobacillus amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) (TVZ_G1, TVZ_G2, TVZ_G3) accounting for > 90% of Acidithiobacillus in terms of relative abundance, and occurring in 126 out of 138 samples across wide ranges of temperature (17.5-92.9 °C) and pH (1.0-7.5). We recovered 19 environmental genomes belonging to each of these three ASVs, as well as a fourth related group (TVZ_G4). Based on genome average nucleotide identities, the four groups (TVZ_G1-TVZ_G4) constitute distinct species (ANI < 96.5%) of which three are novel Acidithiobacillus species (TVZ_G2-TVZ_G4) and one belongs to Acidithiobacillus caldus (TVZ_G1). All four TVZ Acidithiobacillus groups were found in hot springs with temperatures above the previously known limit for the genus (up to 40 °C higher), likely due to significantly higher proline and GC contents than other Acidithiobacillus species, which are known to increase thermostability. Results also indicate hot spring-associated Acidithiobacillus have undergone genome streamlining, likely due to thermal adaptation. Moreover, our data suggest that Acidithiobacillus prevalence across varied hot spring pHs is supported by distinct strategies, whereby TVZ_G2-TVZ_G4 regulate pH homeostasis mostly through Na+/H+ antiporters and proton-efflux ATPases, whereas TVZ_G1 mainly relies on amino acid decarboxylases. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights into the distribution of Acidithiobacillus species across diverse hot spring physichochemistries and determines genomic features and adaptations that potentially enable Acidithiobacillus species to colonize a broad range of temperatures and pHs in geothermal environments. Video Abstract.

Convective isolation of Hadean mantle reservoirs through Archean time.

Although Earth has a convecting mantle, ancient mantle reservoirs that formed within the first 100 Ma of Earth's history (Hadean Eon) appear to have been preserved through geologic time. Evidence for this is based on small anomalies of isotopes such as 182W, 142Nd, and 129Xe that are decay products of short-lived nuclide systems. Studies of such short-lived isotopes have typically focused on geological units with a limited age range and therefore only provide snapshots of regional mantle heterogeneities. Here we present a dataset for short-lived 182Hf-182W (half-life 9 Ma) in a comprehensive rock suite from the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia. The samples analyzed preserve a unique geological archive covering 800 Ma of Archean history. Pristine 182W signatures that directly reflect the W isotopic composition of parental sources are only preserved in unaltered mafic samples with near canonical W/Th (0.07 to 0.26). Early Paleoarchean, mafic igneous rocks from the East Pilbara Terrane display a uniform pristine µ182W excess of 12.6 ± 1.4 ppm. From ca 3.3Ga onward, the pristine 182W signatures progressively vanish and are only preserved in younger rocks of the craton that tap stabilized ancient lithosphere. Given that the anomalous 182W signature must have formed by ca 4.5 Ga, the mantle domain that was tapped by magmatism in the Pilbara Craton must have been convectively isolated for nearly 1.2 Ga. This finding puts lower bounds on timescale estimates for localized convective homogenization in early Earth's interior and on the widespread emergence of plate tectonics that are both important input parameters in many physical models.

Elements for the Origin of Life on Land: A Deep-Time Perspective from the Pilbara Craton of Western Australia.

For decades, deep sea hydrothermal vents have been a preferred setting for the Origin of Life, but "The Water Problem" as relates to polymerization of organic molecules, together with a propensity to dilute critical prebiotic elements as well as a number of other crucial factors, suggests that a terrestrial hot spring field with the capacity for wet-dry cycling and element concentration may represent a more likely candidate. Here, we investigate a 3.5 billion-year-old, anoxic hot spring setting from the Pilbara Craton (Australia) and show that its hydrothermal veins and compositionally varied pools and springs concentrated all of the essential elements required for prebiotic chemistry (including B, Zn, Mn, and K, in addition to C, H, N, O, P, and S). Temporal variability (seasonal to decadal), together with the known propensity of hot springs for wet-dry cycling and information exchange, would lead to innovation pools with peaks of fitness for developing molecules. An inference from the chemical complexity of the Pilbara analogue is that life could perhaps get started quickly on planets with volcanoes, silicate rocks, an exposed land surface, and water, ingredients that should form the backbone in the search for life in the Universe.

A Reconstructed Subaerial Hot Spring Field in the ∼3.5 Billion-Year-Old Dresser Formation, North Pole Dome, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia.

Recent discoveries of geyserite and siliceous sinter with textural biosignatures in the ∼3.5 Ga Dresser Formation of the Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, extended the record of inhabited subaerial hot springs on Earth by ∼3 billion years, back to the time when siliceous sinter deposits are known to have formed on Mars (e.g., at Columbia Hills, Gusev Crater). Here, we present more detailed lithostratigraphic, petrographic and geochemical data collected from 100 measured sections across a ∼14 km strike length in the Dresser Formation. The data indicate deposition of a wide range of hot spring and associated deposits in a restricted interval that directly overlies a hydrothermally influenced volcanic caldera lake facies, with shoreline stromatolites. Hot spring deposits show abrupt lateral facies changes and include associated channelized clastic deposits that support fluvial, subaerial hot spring deposition. All Dresser hot spring and associated lithofacies have direct analogs with proximal, middle, and distal apron hot spring facies that are characteristic of those from New Zealand, Yellowstone National Park, USA, and Argentina. Rare earth element and yttrium geochemistry shows that the Dresser geyserite shares identical patterns with Phanerozoic hot spring sinters. This geochemical data further supports textural and contextual evidence that indicate the Dresser geyserite formed as a subaerial hot spring sinter. Further, the Dresser hot spring deposits are temporally associated with a diverse suite of textural biosignatures that indicate a thriving microbial community existed within in a Paleoarchean hot spring field. The results presented here underscore the importance of continued study of the early geological record for astrobiological research. In particular these findings reinforce the long-standing hypothesis that hydrothermal systems are optimal places to search for past life on Mars.

Biogenicity of Spicular Geyserite from Te Kopia, New Zealand: Integrated Petrography, High-Resolution Hyperspectral and Elemental Analysis.

Hyperspectral and micro X-ray fluorescence (µXRF) imagery were used to derive maps of mineralogy and elemental chemistry from a sample of a siliceous hot spring deposit, or sinter, collected from a landslide breccia deposit at the base of the Paeroa fault, which bounds the eastern Taupo Rift at Te Kopia, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand. The sample is of a known biogenic sinter layer from a paleo-vent area of a recently extinct alkali chloride hot spring. The aim of the study was to distinguish it from other horizons derived from nonbiogenic sources, which is of relevance to early and extraterrestrial life research, specifically to help assess the potential reliability of morphology as an indicator of biology in the geological record. In particular, the distribution of opal, a common mineral in hot springs deposits that is known to preserve microbial features, and the relative abundances of Al-OH clay and water (OH and H2O) were mapped from hyperspectral imagery and element distributions defined by µXRF element mapping. Layers within the sinter sample composed of spicular geyserite-a type of micro-columnar stromatolite-showed contrasting mineralogy and water content in comparison with interspicular clastic sediment. Whereas clay was found to be concentrated in the interspicular sediment, high water contents characterized the spicules. µXRF imagery also showed differences in the composition of the two components of the spicule-bearing layers, with interspicular sediment being enriched in K, Ti, Fe, and Rb relative to the spicules, which are enriched in Ga. The contrasting nature of the mapped components highlights the detailed upward-branching nature of the spicules, identical to those found in living microstromatolites. These discriminants show that the spicular component can be discerned from the geological background through hyperspectral and µXRF mapping and used to define morphological features that may survive burial diagenesis and metamorphism as a biosignature in deep time rocks.

Formation of micro-spherulitic barite in association with organic matter within sulfidized stromatolites of the 3.48 billion-year-old Dresser Formation, Pilbara Craton.

The shallow marine and subaerial sedimentary and hydrothermal rocks of the ~3.48 billion-year-old Dresser Formation are host to some of Earth's oldest stromatolites and microbial remains. This study reports on texturally distinctive, spherulitic barite micro-mineralization that occur in association with primary, autochthonous organic matter within exceptionally preserved, strongly sulfidized stromatolite samples obtained from drill cores. Spherulitic barite micro-mineralization within the sulfidized stromatolites generally forms submicron-scale aggregates that show gradations from hollow to densely crystallized, irregular to partially radiating crystalline interiors. Several barite micro-spherulites show thin outer shells. Within stromatolites, barite micro-spherulites are intimately associated with petrographically earliest dolomite and nano-porous pyrite enriched in organic matter, the latter of which is a possible biosignature assemblage that hosts microbial remains. Barite spherulites are also observed within layered barite in proximity to stromatolite layers, where they are overgrown by compositionally distinct (Sr-rich), coarsely crystalline barite that may have been sourced from hydrothermal veins at depth. Micro-spherulitic barite, such as reported here, is not known from hydrothermal systems that exceed the upper temperature limit for life. Rather, barite with near-identical morphology and micro-texture is known from zones of high bio-productivity under low-temperature conditions in the modern oceans, where microbial activity and/or organic matter of degrading biomass controls the formation of spherulitic aggregates. Hence, the presence of micro-spherulitic barite in the organic matter-bearing Dresser Formation sulfidized stromatolites lend further support for a biogenic origin of these unusual, exceptionally well-preserved, and very ancient microbialites.

Stromatolitic digitate sinters form under wide-ranging physicochemical conditions with diverse hot spring microbial communities.

Digitate siliceous hot spring deposits are a form of biomediated sinter that is relatively common in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), New Zealand, and elsewhere on Earth. Such deposits have gained prominence recently because of their morphological similarity to opaline silica rocks of likely hot spring origin found by the Spirit rover on Mars and the consequent implications for potential biosignatures there. Here, we investigate the possible relationship between microbial community composition and morphological diversity among digitate structures from actively forming siliceous hot spring sinters depositing subaerially in shallow discharge channels and around pool rims at several physicochemically distinct geothermal fields in the TVZ. The TVZ digitate sinters range in morphologic subtype from knobby to spicular, and are shown to be microstromatolites that grow under varied pH ranges, temperatures, and water chemistries. Scanning electron microscopy and molecular analyses revealed that TVZ digitate sinters are intimately associated with a diverse array of bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotic micro-organisms, and for most digitate structures the diversity and quantity of prokaryotes was higher than that of eukaryotes. However, microbial community composition was not correlated with morphologic subtypes of digitate sinter, and observations provided limited evidence that pH (acidic versus alkali) affects morphology. Instead, results suggest hydrodynamics may be an important factor influencing variations in morphology, while water chemistry, pH, and temperature are strong drivers of microbial composition and diversity.

Biomolecules from Fossilized Hot Spring Sinters: Implications for the Search for Life on Mars.

Hot spring environments are commonly dominated by silica sinters that precipitate by the rapid cooling of silica-saturated fluids and the activity of microbial communities. However, the potential for preservation of organic traces of life in silica sinters back through time is not well understood. This is important for the exploration of early life on Earth and possibly Mars. Most previous studies have focused on physical preservation in samples <900 years old, with only a few focused on organic biomarkers. In this study, we investigate the organic geochemistry of hot spring samples from El Tatio, Chile and the Taupo Volcanic Zone, with ages varying from modern to ∼9.4 ka. Results show that all samples contain opaline silica and contain hydrocarbons that are indicative of a cyanobacterial origin. A ∼3 ka recrystallized, quartz-bearing sample also contains traces of cyanobacterial biomarkers. No aromatic compounds were detected in a ∼9.4 ka opal-A sample or in a modern sinter breccia sample. All other samples contain naphthalene, with one sample also containing other polyaromatic hydrocarbons. These aromatic hydrocarbons have a thermally mature distribution that is perhaps reflective of geothermal fluids migrating from deep, rather than surface, reservoirs. These data show that hot spring sinters can preserve biomolecules from the local microbial community, and that crystallinity rather than age may be the determining factor in their preservation. This research provides support for the exploration for biomolecules in opaline silica deposits on Mars.

The Case for Ancient Hot Springs in Gusev Crater, Mars.

The origin and age of opaline silica deposits discovered by the Spirit rover adjacent to the Home Plate feature in the Columbia Hills of Gusev crater remains debated, in part because of their proximity to sulfur-rich soils. Processes related to fumarolic activity and to hot springs and/or geysers are the leading candidates. Both processes are known to produce opaline silica on Earth, but with differences in composition, morphology, texture, and stratigraphy. Here, we incorporate new and existing observations of the Home Plate region with observations from field and laboratory work to address the competing hypotheses. The results, which include new evidence for a hot spring vent mound, demonstrate that a volcanic hydrothermal system manifesting both hot spring/geyser and fumarolic activity best explains the opaline silica rocks and proximal S-rich materials, respectively. The opaline silica rocks most likely are sinter deposits derived from hot spring activity. Stratigraphic evidence indicates that their deposition occurred before the emplacement of the volcaniclastic deposits comprising Home Plate and nearby ridges. Because sinter deposits throughout geologic history on Earth preserve evidence for microbial life, they are a key target in the search for ancient life on Mars.

Boron Isotopes in the Puga Geothermal System, India, and Their Implications for the Habitat of Early Life.

Boron is associated with several Archean stromatolite deposits, including the tourmaline-rich Barberton stromatolites in South Africa and tourmaline-bearing pyritic laminae associated with stromatolites of the 3.48 Ga Dresser Formation in the Pilbara Craton, Australia. Boron is also a critical element in prebiotic organic chemistry, including in the formation of ribose, a crucial component in RNA. As geological evidence and advances in prebiotic chemistry are now suggesting that hot spring activity may be associated with the origins of life, an understanding of boron and its mobility and isotopic fractionation in geothermal settings may provide important insights into the setting for the origin of life. Here, we report on the boron isotopic compositions and elemental concentrations in a range of fluid, sediment, and mineral samples from the active, boron-rich Puga geothermal system in the Himalayas, India. This includes one of the lowest boron isotope values ever recorded in modern settings: diatom-rich sediments (δ11B = -41.0‰) in a multiphase fractionation system where evaporation is not the dominant form of isotope fractionation. Instead, the extreme boron isotopic fractionation is ascribed to the incorporation of tetrahedral 10B borate anions in precipitating amorphous silica. These findings expand the known limits and drivers of boron isotope fractionation, as well as provide insight into the concentration and fractionation of boron in Archean hot spring environments.

Globally asynchronous sulphur isotope signals require re-definition of the Great Oxidation Event.

The Great Oxidation Event (GOE) has been defined as the time interval when sufficient atmospheric oxygen accumulated to prevent the generation and preservation of mass-independent fractionation of sulphur isotopes (MIF-S) in sedimentary rocks. Existing correlations suggest that the GOE was rapid and globally synchronous. Here we apply sulphur isotope analysis of diagenetic sulphides combined with U-Pb and Re-Os geochronology to document the sulphur cycle evolution in Western Australia spanning the GOE. Our data indicate that, from ~2.45 Gyr to beyond 2.31 Gyr, MIF-S was preserved in sulphides punctuated by several episodes of MIF-S disappearance. These results establish the MIF-S record as asynchronous between South Africa, North America and Australia, argue for regional-scale modulation of MIF-S memory effects due to oxidative weathering after the onset of the GOE, and suggest that the current paradigm of placing the GOE at 2.33-2.32 Ga based on the last occurrence of MIF-S in South Africa should be re-evaluated.

Corrigendum: Earliest signs of life on land preserved in ca. 3.5 Ga hot spring deposits.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15263.

Earliest signs of life on land preserved in ca. 3.5 Ga hot spring deposits.

The ca. 3.48 Ga Dresser Formation, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, is well known for hosting some of Earth's earliest convincing evidence of life (stromatolites, fractionated sulfur/carbon isotopes, microfossils) within a dynamic, low-eruptive volcanic caldera affected by voluminous hydrothermal fluid circulation. However, missing from the caldera model were surface manifestations of the volcanic-hydrothermal system (hot springs, geysers) and their unequivocal link with life. Here we present new discoveries of hot spring deposits including geyserite, sinter terracettes and mineralized remnants of hot spring pools/vents, all of which preserve a suite of microbial biosignatures indicative of the earliest life on land. These include stromatolites, newly observed microbial palisade fabric and gas bubbles preserved in inferred mineralized, exopolymeric substance. These findings extend the known geological record of inhabited terrestrial hot springs on Earth by ∼3 billion years and offer an analogue in the search for potential fossil life in ancient Martian hot springs.