Stromatolites are domed, laminated structures classically interpreted to represent organo-
sedimentary structures built by the trapping and binding or precipitation of minerals by microbes (typically cyanobacteria). As such, stromatolites are commonly considered biosignatures (signs of life), and when found in ancient strata on Earth, or perhaps some extraterrestrial locale like Mars, their presence would be considered a sign of life. Modern marine stromatolites would support this claim. But are stromatolites unequivocal evidence for life? On the one hand, there is no doubt that some (perhaps most) stromatolites on Earth were formed with biologic influence. On the other, recent work has demonstrated that stromatolite-like structures have formed in the absence of biologic input and are difficult to differentiate from biogenic structures at the macroscopic scale. Here, several examples of stromatolites will be presented and evaluated as primarily biogenic or abiogenic, modern marine stromatolites will be investigated for their veracity as ancient analogues, and the concept of stromatolites as biosignatures will be revisited. In sum, most of the evidence for biogenicity of stromatolites is found at the microscopic scale, such that studies on Earth and elsewhere should include microscopic investigation.
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