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the essential characteristic of a stromatolite is the lamination
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laminae are the result the periodic or episodic nature of
the accretion process
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in recent stromatolites, the layers can be distinguished
by alternating layers of organic material and sediment
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in the geologic record some stromatolites were infiltrated
with a mineral-rich solution which fossilized the bacteria along with the
layers, but more often only the layers are preserved
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generally, stromatolites can be seen as succession of laminae
that is usually defined by textural differences
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the morphological form of stromatolites occur when algal
film is restricted and in turn produce fixed structure of successive laminae
with defined relief and boundaries
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these structures are characterized by laminations in a concentric
form, and the later growth inherits the form of the early of laminae.
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