Close up of stromatolites & oncolites fossil records in Otavi Mountainland Northern Namibia


The oldest stromatolites so far recognised in Namibia are 830 to 760 million years old. They occur in the Otavi Mountainland where the Otavi group represents a sequence of mainly carbonate rocks over 5000 m thick which was deposited in a shallow ocean in a shelf environment. These rocks were formed largely by the secreations of algae and therefore contain a high diversity of stromatolites as well as oncolites. Layered spherical growth structures named oncolites are similar to stromatolites and are also known from the fossil record.


Size: 5120px × 3413px
Location: Otavi Mountainland, Northern Namibia
Photo credit: © Armands Pharyos / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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