True Museum Quality | Eocene Epoch Microbial Stromatolite Fossil (56-33.9 MYA) for Sale

True Museum Quality | Eocene Epoch Microbial Stromatolite Fossil (56-33.9 MYA) For Sale

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True Museum Quality | Eocene Epoch Microbial Stromatolite Fossil (56-33.9 MYA):
$2000.00

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About the Item
Stromatolites are neither animals, nor plants—that's why we listed this under "other" fossils.
This is a stromatolite fossil specimenfrom the Eocene Epoch, which occurred 56 to 33.9 million years ago. Itwas found in upper/northern regions of the Central Anatolian Plateau in modern-day Turkey, within the red triangle you see in the last picture.
Width of the cut face: 5.9" (15 cm)Height of the cut face: 3.95" (10 cm)Width between widest points:7.5" (19 cm)Depth between deepest points: 5.5" (14 cm)Weight: 9.35 lbs. (4.25 kg)
Fossil enthusiasts and scholars alike will notice that this piece differs in appearance from Permian-Triassic boundary stromatolites, which exhibit a distinct internal layering, as seen in southern Turkey near Antalya. One notable feature of this fossil is the darker coloration in the center compared to the edges, a result of natural weathering on the surface of the rock. The weathering, which envelops the entire specimen, suggests that this rock lay exposed on the land surface for an extended period. It originated from a mountainous region where cold winters and rainfall could deeply penetrate, leading to this unique all-around weathering effect seen in/on the rind. While weathering is often disregarded in geological studies, I mentioned it because it adds visual diversity and enhances the specimen’s beauty.
If you examine the lower edge of the darker central area, you'll see disrupted layering that appears broken into small, disorganized pieces. This is a sign that the stromatolite’s growth cycle was interrupted. The disrupted area is confined to the center and doesn’t extend across the entire specimen, which could have occurred due to a few possible events:

Loose debris settled on the stromatolite during a storm, which was subsequently overgrown by new layers;
The stromatolite may have been struck, partially breaking its top layers;
It could have rolled over and crashed into a hard surface and then reoriented and continued growing.

Regardless of the cause, this feature aligns with the fossil’s formation in a shallow marine or lagoon environment, where stromatolites are commonly found. The KINIK area, marked by the red triangle in the last picture, is located near KIZILCAHAMAM—a region renowned for its thermal springs, which screams “prehistoric lagoon.”
Eocene epoch freshwater algal bioherms and stromatolites in the KINIK area have been extensively studied. Here is an excerpt/abstract from the August 1984 issue of the Bulletin of the Geological Society of Turkey (please message me for the link to the online publication):
Lacustrine deposits of the Upper Eocene that crop out near Kinik village, NW Ankara, consist of algal bioherms and various geometric forms of stromatolites. Small algal bioherms contain two types of carbonates, tufa and carbonate cones. Tufa is an organic carbonate mass made up of green algae which were rapidly encrusted by micrite while alive. Rapid micritization is probably in response to photosynthetic release of CO2. The other bioherm groups (digitate-columnar carbonate cones) are also represented by radial growth of blue-green algae. The bioherms are covered and partly surrounded by bedded pellet-intraclasts and bioclastic grainstones-packstones deposited during the temporal fall and rise in lake level. A thin laminated crust formed under subaerial conditions, cover the grainstone-packstone layers and the bioherms.
In the studied area, stromatolites generally overlie the algal bioherms. These are different kinds of organo-sedimentary structures formed by trapping and binding actions of the blue-green algae in lacustrine environment. Despite the fact that the stromatolites were built only by blue-green algae genus Schizotrix, increasing water energy and available sediment led to different geometric forms. These forms can be grouped as LLH-lateral linked hemispheroids, SH-stacked hemispheroids and SS-oncoidal stromatolites. Organic and inorganic CaCO3 precipitation caused rapid calcification and cementation in bioherms. Mat actions of the blue-green algae and other biochemical events are the main effects on the cementation and configuration of the porosity of stromatolites.
This rare and unique stromatolite fossil will captivate fossil collectors, geology enthusiasts, scholars, and collectors alike; it is an ideal acquisition for anyone fascinated by Earth’s ancient life forms and geological history. With its exceptional preservation and intriguing patterns shaped by ancient environmental forces, this specimen is also a remarkable addition to any home or office display, perfect for sparking conversation about prehistoric life and the dynamic conditions of the prehistoric world. Whether for educational use, personal collection, or simply as an inspiring piece of natural art, this stromatolite fossil invites curiosity and wonder, bringing a piece of Earth's distant past into the present and into your life.
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