Kakabekia - A Living Fossil EarthCache
Kakabekia - A Living Fossil
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While searching for information about Kakabeka Falls, much of the promotional material mentions that some of the oldest fossils in existence can be found here. They were discovered in 1965 by Harvard paleontologist Elso S. Barghoorn.
What is less frequently mentioned is that the individual fossils are microscopic. At the time, they bore no resemblance to any known organism. Barghoorn named the genus of these organisms Kakabekia umbellata. They were uniquely identified as “‘consisting of a spheroidal bulb, slender stipe, and crown or mantle of umbrella-like shape.’ Stipe lengths ranged from 12 to 30 µm and the diameter of the umbrella ranged from 5 to 30 µm.”
These microscopic blue-green algae formed slow growing, rigid reef structures called stromatolites, which are visible to the naked eye and which have also been fossilized. Below is a photo of stromatolites in a rock cut-out that has been sadly been destroyed and is no longer available. waypoint at N 48° 24.295 W 089° 37.951 )
The stromatolites grew in columns in the warm water, one layer at a time. They thrived in the ammonia rich environment and are thought to have been invaluable in increasing oxygen levels in the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis.
If you go inside the visitor centre, you will be able to see how a polished stromatolite looks from both a top and a side view and how they grew in layers.
Upon publication of Barghoorn’s findings about Kakabekia umbellata, the microscopic structure was recognized by U.S. physiologist Sanford Siegel. Siegel was studying organisms that can survive in hostile environments, testing soil samples from Wales. Kakabekia was growing in Siegel’s lab. The modern organism looked nearly identical to the ancient organism. It was named Kakabekia barghoorniana.
Shortly after the discovery of Kakabekia umbellata, soil samples were also gathered near Juneau, Alaska in 1969 and were cultured in an ammonia-glucose medium. Again, the ancient Kakabekia was alive in modern times. In fact, soil samples from Nepal, Mexico, Columbia, Equador, Hawaii, Maui, Japan, Alaska, and Iceland have been cultured and have produced Kakabekia.
Despite stromatolites being some of the oldest fossils on earth, they too can still be found as living organisms in areas such as Hamelin Pool in Western Australia, the Bahamas, Mexico, and Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Unfortunately, they are very rare and nearly extinct.
In terms of the Kakabekia that was discovered in Northwestern Ontario, most resources date the existence of the Kakabekia in the chert to 2 billion years ago. The Ontario Parks website gives a date of 1.6 billion years for the stromatolite fossils. The polished samples shown inside the visitor centre have been dated at 1.1 billion years. The earliest date of 2 billion years is assumed because of the hardness of the layer of rock known as “chert,” which makes up part of the gunflint rock formation in Northwestern Ontario and Minnesota. While it is certain that stromatolites are found in the area, other research questions whether the fossils in the chert were created by fungi rather than Kakabekia umbellata.
In front of the visitor centre at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, you can see a sample of the fossilized stromatolites in a dolomite sample.
To log this cache, e-mail the answers for the following question to the cache owner.
1. Estimate the average diameter of the top of the stromatolites in the dolomite sample in front of the visitor information centre.
2. Answer this question. How long ago do you think Kakabekia and the stromatolites were living and growing in this area? Why do you believe that?
Permission for the part of this cache in the boundaries of Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park has been granted by the Superintendent of Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park under permit number KF-002 for an initial period of one year. Please note that this cache is partially located within the boundaries of Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park and as such you will be required to pay any applicable entry or parking fees. It is your responsibility to acquaint yourself with the policies and rules of the park.
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