Life on land in the Proterozoic: Evidence from the Torridonian rocks of northwest Scotland

Research Article| September 01, 2002 Life on land in the Proterozoic: Evidence from the Torridonian rocks of northwest Scotland A.R. Prave A.R. Prave 1School of Geography and Geosciences, University of St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9AL, Scotland Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information A.R. Prave 1School of Geography and Geosciences, University of St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9AL, Scotland Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 01 Feb 2002 Revision Received: 14 May 2002 Accepted: 15 May 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2002) 30 (9): 811–814. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0811:LOLITP>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 01 Feb 2002 Revision Received: 14 May 2002 Accepted: 15 May 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation A.R. Prave; Life on land in the Proterozoic: Evidence from the Torridonian rocks of northwest Scotland. Geology 2002;; 30 (9): 811–814. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0811:LOLITP>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The Stoer Group and Diabaig Formation of the Torridonian succession in northwest Scotland are late Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic (ca. 1200–1000 Ma). Features preserved on the top surfaces of fine- to medium-grained sandstone beds in a number of stratigraphically and geographically separated localities are attributable to microbially induced sedimentary structures; these include wrinkle structures, remnants of apparent microbial crusts, and indications of original cohesiveness and pliancy in sand-sized sediment. The surfaces on which the microbial structures formed were exposed subaerially (abundant, deep desiccation cracks and locally pedogenic structures) in alluvial, interfluve, and lacustrine margin settings, and many of the structures developed in areas well away from the perennially wetted regions adjacent to shorelines and fluvial channels. Thus, these features indicate that Earth's biosphere had adapted to and colonized land surfaces many hundreds of millions of years before the dawn of the Phanerozoic. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.