Eobacterium
| Eobacterium Temporal range:
Paleoarchean, ~ | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | †Eobacterium Barghoorn and Schopf, 1966 |
| Species: | †E. isolatum
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Eobacterium isolatum Barghoorn and Schopf, 1966
| |
Eobacterium is a fossil genus of probable[2] bacteria from the Fig Tree Formation in South Africa.[3][4] It lived during the Paleoarchean era, around 3.277–3.225 Ga, making it one of the oldest known organisms if it is valid.[1][3] The discovery of Eobacterium and other Fig Tree organisms such as Archaeosphaeroides in the 1960s helped prove that life existed over three billion years ago.[4]
The genus is monospecific, and contains one species, Eobacterium isolatum.[5]
References
- ^ a b Daylight Mine, Barberton (Paleoarchean of South Africa) in the Paleobiology Database
- ^ Eobacterium E.S. Barghoorn & J.W. Schopf, 1966. Retrieved through: Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera on 20 December 2025.
- ^ a b Barghoorn, Elso S.; Schopf, J. William (6 May 1966). "Microorganisms Three Billion Years Old from the Precambrian of South Africa". Science. 152 (3723): 758–763. Bibcode:1966Sci...152..758B. doi:10.1126/science.152.3723.758. eISSN 1095-9203. ISSN 0036-8075. JSTOR 1718104. PMID 17797444. S2CID 26997945.
- ^ a b "Fig Tree microfossils". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. 2016. Retrieved Oct 9, 2016.
- ^ Eobacterium in the Paleobiology Database