Sounds like a catchy title for a 50s horror film.
But no, they are the vestiges of an ancient life form found almost nowhere on earth except - you guessed it - Newfoundland.
Flower's Cove, about 15 minutes north of the St. Barbe ferry terminal on the northwestern shore, is where a short walk takes one to see thrombolites.
They are critically endangered microbial structures that you are encouraged to examine and walk all over (?!?!?)
The only known form of life from about 3.5 billion to 650 million years ago, they are large, bun shaped Cambrian mounds that were the growth form of millions of tiny algae and bacteria. These mounds are not exactly fossils, but are evidence of biological activity.
These creatures thrived in tidal and subtidal zones of a very warm salty sea, some being exposed at low tide and covered at high tide, which explains the mud cracks. The larger ones might be multiple communities that amalgamated as they grew.
They are so rare there is only one other known place where they can be found, in Western Australia.
Well, check those off the list!
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| communing with thrombolites |
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