Eobacterium is a fossil genus of probable[1] bacteria from the Fig Tree Formation in South Africa.[2][3] It lived during the Paleoarchean era, around , making it one of the oldest known organisms if it is valid.[4][2] The discovery of Eobacterium and other Fig Tree organisms such as Archaeosphaeroides in the 1960s helped prove that life existed over three billion years ago.[3]

The genus is monospecific, and contains one species, Eobacterium isolatum.[5]

References

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  2. ^ Barghoorn, Elso S. & Schopf, J. William (6 May 1966). "Microorganisms Three Billion Years Old from the Precambrian of South Africa". Science. 152 (3723): 758–763. Bibcode:1966Sci...152..758B. doi:10.1126/science.152.3723.758. ISSN 0036-8075. JSTOR 1718104. PMID 17797444. S2CID 26997945
  3. ^ "Fig Tree microfossils". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. 2016. Retrieved Oct 9, 2016.
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