Synonyms
Definition
Biogenicity refers to any chemical and/or morphological signature preserved over a range of spatial scales in rocks, minerals, ice, or dust particles that are uniquely produced by past or present organisms. This includes elemental and isotopic signatures diagnostic of life, which cannot be formed by purely abiotic processes. These may be accompanied by textural remains with shapes, orientations, and abundances that uniquely result from the growth or decay of (once) living organisms. Further support for biogenicity can be shown if the distribution and abundance of this evidence is controlled by biologically significant primary variables such as light, temperature, and nutrient gradients.
Overview
Biogenicity criteria are used to assess the likelihood of a biological origin for candidate traces of life. Biogenicity criteria address observable and quantifiable features that can be broadly divided into three types: (1) the morphological complexity and size...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References and Further Reading
Brasier MD, Green OR, McLoughlin N (2004) Characterization and critical testing of potential microfossils from the early Earth: the Apex ‘microfossil debate’ and its lessons for Mars sample return. Int J Astrobiol 3:139–150
Buick R (1990) Microfossil recognition in Archaean rocks: an appraisal of spheroids and filaments from 3500 M.Y old chert-barite at North Pole, Western Australia. Palaios 5:441–459
Buick R, Dunlop JSR, Groves DI (1981) Stromatolite recognition in ancient rocks: an appraisal of irregularly laminated structures in an early Archean chert-barite unit from North Pole, Western Australia. Alcheringa 5:161–181
Garcia-Ruiz JM, Carnerup AM, Christy AG, Welham NJ (2003) Morphology and ambiguous indicator for biogenicity. Astrobiology 2:353–369
Hofmann HJ (1971) Precambrian fossils, pseudofossils, and problematica in Canada. Bull Geol Surv Can 189:146
Hofmann HJ (2000) Archean Stromatolites as microbial Archives. In: Riding RE, Awramik SM (eds) Microbial sediments. Springer, Berlin
McLoughlin N, Brasier MD, Wacey D, Green OR, Perry RS (2007) On biogenicity criteria for endolithic microborings on early Earth and beyond. Astrobiology 7:10–26
McLoughlin N, Wilson LA, Brasier MD (2008) Growth of synthetic stromatolites and wrinkle structures in the absence of microbes – implications for the early fossil record. Geobiology 6:95–105
Noffke N (2009) The criteria for the biogenicity of microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) in Archean and younger, sandy deposits. Earth Sci Rev 96:173–180
Thomas-Kerpta KL, Clemett SJ, Bazylinski DA, Kirschvink JL, McKay DS, Wentworth SJ, Vali H, Gibson JEK, McKay MF, Romanek CS (2001) Truncated hexa-octahedral magnetite crystals in ALH84001: presumptive biosignatures. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98:2164–2169
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this entry
Cite this entry
McLoughlin, N. (2015). Biogenicity. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_171
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_171
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-44184-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-44185-5
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics