3.46 Ga Apex chert 'microfossils' reinterpreted as mineral artefacts produced during phyllosilicate exfoliation

We acknowledge the facilities, scientific and technical assistance of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility at: Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia; Electron Microscopy Unit, The University of New South Wales. These facilities are funded by the Universities, State and Commonwealth Governments. DW was funded by the European Commission and the Australian Research Council (FT140100321). This is ARC CCFS paper number XXX. We acknowledge Martin van Kranendonk, Owen Green, Cris Stoakes, Nicola McLoughlin, the late John Lindsay and the Geological Survey of Western Australia for fieldwork assistance, Thomas Becker for assistance with Raman microspectroscopy, Anthony Burgess from FEI for the preparation of one of the TEM wafers, and Russell Garwood, Tom Davies, Imran Rahman & Stephan Lautenschlager for training and advice on the SPIERS and AVIZO software suites. We thank Chris Fedo and an anonymous reviewer for comments that improved the manuscript.

A Test of the Biogenicity Criteria Established for Microfossils and Stromatolites on Quaternary Tufa and Speleothem Materials Formed in the “Twilight Zone” at Caerwys, UK

Natural Resources Wales and Steven Griffiths are thanked for access to Caerwys quarry and permission to work on the site. Sebastiaan Edelman and Thomas Logeman assisted with fieldwork and provided some of the field photographs. Bouke Lacet (Sedimentology laboratory, VU University Amsterdam) prepared the thin-sections. Three anonymous reviewers helped to sharpen the manuscript, and Sherry Cady provided valuable editorial advice and assistance. A.T.B. was inspired by Martin Brasier. He dedicates this manuscript to his father’s memory.

3.46 Ga Apex chert 'microfossils' reinterpreted as mineral artefacts produced during phyllosilicate exfoliation

We acknowledge the facilities, scientific and technical assistance of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility at: Centre for Microscopy Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia; Electron Microscopy Unit, The University of New South Wales. These facilities are funded by the Universities, State and Commonwealth Governments. DW was funded by the European Commission and the Australian Research Council (FT140100321). This is ARC CCFS paper number XXX. We acknowledge Martin van Kranendonk, Owen Green, Cris Stoakes, Nicola McLoughlin, the late John Lindsay and the Geological Survey of Western Australia for fieldwork assistance, Thomas Becker for assistance with Raman microspectroscopy, Anthony Burgess from FEI for the preparation of one of the TEM wafers, and Russell Garwood, Tom Davies, Imran Rahman & Stephan Lautenschlager for training and advice on the SPIERS and AVIZO software suites. We thank Chris Fedo and an anonymous reviewer for comments that improved the manuscript.

A Test of the Biogenicity Criteria Established for Microfossils and Stromatolites on Quaternary Tufa and Speleothem Materials Formed in the “Twilight Zone” at Caerwys, UK

Natural Resources Wales and Steven Griffiths are thanked for access to Caerwys quarry and permission to work on the site. Sebastiaan Edelman and Thomas Logeman assisted with fieldwork and provided some of the field photographs. Bouke Lacet (Sedimentology laboratory, VU University Amsterdam) prepared the thin-sections. Three anonymous reviewers helped to sharpen the manuscript, and Sherry Cady provided valuable editorial advice and assistance. A.T.B. was inspired by Martin Brasier. He dedicates this manuscript to his father’s memory.

Anomalous supply of bioessential molybdenum in mid-Proterozoic surface environments

Date of Acceptance: 29/12/2015 We are grateful to A. Sandison and W. Thayalon for skilled technical support, and Mike Porter and an anonymous reviewer, who helped to clarify the manuscript.

A Test of the Biogenicity Criteria Established for Microfossils and Stromatolites on Quaternary Tufa and Speleothem Materials Formed in the “Twilight Zone” at Caerwys, UK

Natural Resources Wales and Steven Griffiths are thanked for access to Caerwys quarry and permission to work on the site. Sebastiaan Edelman and Thomas Logeman assisted with fieldwork and provided some of the field photographs. Bouke Lacet (Sedimentology laboratory, VU University Amsterdam) prepared the thin-sections. Three anonymous reviewers helped to sharpen the manuscript, and Sherry Cady provided valuable editorial advice and assistance. A.T.B. was inspired by Martin Brasier. He dedicates this manuscript to his father’s memory.