Fig Tree Formation
Stratigraphic range: Paleoarchean
~3280–3220 Ma[1]

Had'n

Archean

Proterozoic

Pha.

Type| Geological formation
Unit of| Barberton Supergroup
Underlies| Moodies Group
Overlies| Onverwacht Group
Lithology
Primary| Sandstone
Other| Shale
Location
Location| Kaapvaal craton
Coordinates|  [ ⚑ ] : 25°48′S 31°00′E﻿ / ﻿25.8°S 31.0°E﻿ / -25.8; 31.0
Region| Barberton Greenstone Belt, Mpumalanga
Country| South Africa

Location of the Barberton Greenstone Belt

The Fig Tree Formation, also called Fig Tree Group, is a stromatolite-containing geological formation in South Africa dated to around Template:Gigaannum.[1] The rock contains fossils of microscopic life forms that are about 3.26 billion years old.[2] Identified organisms include the bacterium Eobacterium isolatum and the algae-like Archaeosphaeroides barbertonensis. The fossils in the Fig Tree Formation are considered some of the oldest known organisms on Earth, and provide evidence that life may have existed much earlier than previously thought. The formation is composed of shales, turbiditic greywackes, volcaniclastic sandstones, chert, turbiditic siltstone, conglomerate, breccias, mudstones, and iron-rich shales.[3]

## Contents

* 1 Meteorite impact
* 2 See also
* 3 References
* 4 Further reading

## Meteorite impact

This formation also contains evidence of the biggest known meteorite impact on Earth.[4]

## See also

* Archean life in the Barberton Greenstone Belt
* Warrawoona Group

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Drabon, Nadja; Lowe, Donald R. (1 May 2022). "Progressive accretion recorded in sedimentary rocks of the 3.28–3.23 Ga Fig Tree Group, Barberton Greenstone Belt". GSA Bulletin 134 (5-6): 1258–1276. doi:10.1130/B35973.1. ISSN 0016-7606. Bibcode: 2022GSAB..134.1258D.
2. ↑ 2015 - Brown - Exploring the Evolution of Oxygen on the Early Earth: Constraining the Evolution of Oxidative Phosphorylation Through the Utilization of Uranium Isotopes
3. ↑ Barberton geological field mapping report 2012
4. ↑ Drabon, Nadja; Knoll, Andrew H.; Lowe, Donald R.; Bernasconi, Stefano M.; Brenner, Alec R.; Mucciarone, David A. (29 October 2024). "Effect of a giant meteorite impact on Paleoarchean surface environments and life". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121 (44). doi:10.1073/pnas.2408721121. e2408721121. ISSN 0027-8424. PMID 39432780.

## Further reading

* "Fig Tree microfossils". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.. 2016. https://www.britannica.com/science/Fig-Tree-microfossils. Retrieved Oct 9, 2016.
* Byerly G.R., Lower D.R. & Walsh M.M. (1986). Stromatolites from the 3300–3500-Myr Swaziland Supergroup, Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa. Nature, 319: 489–491.

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Geology of South Africa

Geological formations

* List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in South Africa

| Palaeoarchaean|

* Bushveld Igneous Complex
* Fig Tree Formation
* Komatii Formation
* Moodies Group
* Onverwacht Group
* Transvaal Supergroup

|

Paleozoic|

* Carboniferous
* Dwyka Group
* Ganigobis Formation
* Waaipoort Formation
* Devonian
* Bokkeveld Group
* Table Mountain Sandstone
* Waterloo Farm lagerstätte
* Permian
* Abrahamskraal Formation
* Balfour Formation
* Dwyka Group
* Ganigobis Formation
* Teekloof Formation
* Whitehill Formation
* Ordovician
* Soom Shale

Mesozoic|

* Cretaceous
* Uitenhage Group
* Buffelskloof Formation
* Enon Formation
* Kirkwood Formation
* Sundays River Formation
* Kalahari Deposits

* Jurassic
* Drakensberg Group
* Enon Formation
* Uitenhage Group
* Karoo Supergroup
* Beaufort Group
* Abrahamskraal Formation
* Balfour Formation
* Katberg Formation
* Middleton Formation
* Teekloof Formation
* Dwyka Group
* Ecca Group
* Whitehill Formation
* Stormberg Group
* Bushveld Sandstone
* Clarens Formation
* Elliot Formation
* Triassic
* Elliot Formation
* Katberg Formation
* Molteno Formation
* Normandien Formation

Cenozoic|

* Algoa Group

‎Tectonics and orogeny

* Algoa Basin
* Cape Fold Belt
* Ellisras Basin
* Gondwanide orogeny
* Kaapvaal Craton
* Kalahari Craton
* Makhonjwa Mountains
* Tectonic evolution of the Barberton greenstone belt
* Terra Australis Orogen
* Transvaal Basin
* Witteberg
* Witwatersrand Basin

| Volcanism|

* List of volcanoes in South Africa
* Pilanesberg
* Pilanesberg Game Reserve
* Prince Edward Islands
* Diatremes
* Big Hole
* Finsch diamond mine
* Jagersfontein Mine
* Koffiefontein mine
* Barberton Greenstone Belt
* Drakensberg
* Karoo-Ferrar

|

Earthquakes|

* 1620 Robben Island earthquake
* 1969 Tulbagh earthquake
* 2006 Mozambique earthquake
* 2014 Orkney earthquake

Impact craters|

* Kalkkop crater
* Morokweng impact structure
* Tswaing crater
* Vredefort impact structure

Meteorites|

* Bellsbank meteorite

‎Mineral deposits

* Kimberlite
* Merensky Reef
* Witwatersrand
* Banket (mining term)

* Coal in South Africa
* Iron ore in Africa
* Platinum in Africa
* Titanium in Africa
* Uranium in Africa

* Minerals Council South Africa
* Department of Mineral Resources (South Africa)
* Department of Mineral Resources and Energy

Paleontology‎

* List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in South Africa
* Archean life in the Barberton Greenstone Belt

| Ordovician|

* Keurbos
* Notiodella
* Onychopterella
* Promissum
* Soomaspis

|

Devonian|

* Africanaspis
* Angelacanthus
* Antarctilamna
* Bainella
* Deltacephalaspis
* Gondwanascorpio
* Priscomyzon
* Serenichthys
* Tutusius
* Umzantsia

Carboniferous|

* Dadoxylon
* Dwykia
* Hibbertopterus
* Lepidodendron
* Sundayichthys

Permian|

* Abdalodon
* Alopecognathus
* Anomocephalus
* Basilodon
* Bulbasaurus
* Charassognathus
* Cistecephaloides
* Crapartinella
* Cynosaurus
* Dicynodontoides
* Diictodon
* Dinanomodon
* Dinogorgon
* Dwykaselachus
* Endothiodon
* Eunotosaurus
* Galechirus
* Glanosuchus
* Glossopteris
* Hofmeyria
* Ictidognathus
* Ictidosuchoides
* Lepidodendron
* Lycosuchus
* Mesosaurus
* Moschops
* Odontocyclops
* Procynosuchus
* Scylacosaurus
* Scymnosaurus
* Simorhinella
* Stereosternum
* Theriognathus
* Thliptosaurus
* Trochosaurus
* Youngina

Beaufort Group|

* Aelurosaurus
* Anomocephalus
* Basilodon
* Blattoidealestes
* Brachyprosopus
* Broomistega
* Cistecephaloides
* Choerosaurus
* Clelandina
* Colobodectes
* Compsodon
* Cryptocynodon
* Cynariognathus
* Cynosaurus
* Diictodon
* Dinanomodon
* Eodicynodon
* Eohyosaurus
* Emyduranus
* Euchambersia
* Homodontosaurus
* Icticephalus
* Ictidochampsa
* Ictidodon
* Ictidodraco
* Ictidostoma
* Lanthanostegus
* Leontosaurus
* Lepidodendron
* Lycideops
* Macroscelesaurus
* Moschorhinus
* Paliguana
* Pelictosuchus
* Polycynodon
* Pristerodon
* Pristerognathoides
* Pristerognathus
* Procolophon
* Promoschorhynchus
* Scalopocephalus
* Silpholestes
* Tamboeria
* Uranocentrodon

| Assemblages|

* Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone
* Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone
* Endothiodon Assemblage Zone
* Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone
* Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone

|

Triassic|

* Batrachosuchus
* Blikanasaurus
* Bolotridon
* Cynognathus
* Diademodon
* Dinanomodon
* Elliotherium
* Ericiolacerta
* Erythrosuchus
* Erythrotherium
* Eucnemesaurus
* Euskelosaurus
* Galesaurus
* Howesia
* Ictidosuchoides
* Kannemeyeria
* Lepidodendron
* Lydekkerina
* Lystrosaurus
* Melanorosaurus
* Mesosuchus
* Microgomphodon
* Micropholis
* Myosaurus
* Noteosuchus
* Olivierosuchus
* Orosaurus
* Pentasaurus
* Plateosauravus
* Platycraniellus
* Procolophon
* Progalesaurus
* Prolacerta
* Proterosuchus
* Ptychoceratodus
* Regisaurus
* Scaloposaurus
* Scymnosaurus
* Shansiodon
* Tetracynodon
* Thrinaxodon
* Trirachodon
* Ufudocyclops
* Zorillodontops

| Assemblages|

* Cynognathus Assemblage Zone
* Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone

|

Jurassic|

* Aardonyx
* Abrictosaurus
* Antetonitrus
* Arcusaurus
* Coelophysis
* Coelophysis rhodesiensis
* Dracovenator
* Eocursor
* Erythrotherium
* Fabrosaurus
* Geranosaurus
* Gigantoscelus
* Gryponyx
* Gyposaurus
* Heterodontosaurus
* Ledumahadi
* Lesothosaurus
* Litargosuchus
* Lycorhinus
* Massospondylus
* Ngwevu
* Pegomastax
* Ptychoceratodus
* Pulanesaura
* Sefapanosaurus
* Sphenosuchus
* Tritheledon

Cretaceous|

* Acanthohoplites
* Algoasaurus
* Baculites
* Kangnasaurus
* Macroscaphites
* Nqwebasaurus
* Paranthodon
* Ptychoceratodus

Paleogene|

* Nummulite

Neogene|

* Africanacetus
* Nummulite

Pleistocene|

* Boskop Man
* Homo naledi
* Panthera shawi
* Vulpes skinneri

Other|

* Cradle of Humankind
* Planolites
* Scylacorhinus
* West Coast Fossil Park
* Waterloo Farm lagerstätte

Research and administration‎

* Council for Geoscience
* Evolutionary Studies Institute
* Geological Commission of the Cape of Good Hope
* Geological Society of South Africa

| Geologists|

* Hans Merensky

|

Paleontologists|

* Andrew Geddes Bain
* Lieuwe Dirk Boonstra
* Charles Kimberlin Brain
* Robert Broom
* Alfred Brown
* Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan
* H. Basil S. Cooke
* Alfred W. Crompton
* Daniel Rossouw Kannemeyer
* Andre Keyser
* James Kitching
* John Talbot Robinson
* George William Stow
* Eduard Meine van Zinderen-Bakker

Regional articles

* Geology of Cape Town

Other

* Pothole (geology)
* Steep structure
* Swazian

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* Category
*   * Glossary

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