| Eobacterium Temporal range:
Paleoarchean, ~ | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | †Eobacterium Barghoorn and Schopf, 1966 |
| Species: | †E. isolatum
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Eobacterium isolatum Barghoorn and Schopf, 1966
| |
Eobacterium is a fossil genus of probable2 bacteria from the Fig Tree Formation in South Africa.34 It lived during the Paleoarchean era, around 3.277–3.225 Ga, making it one of the oldest known organisms if it is valid.13 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.4
The genus is monospecific, and contains one species, Eobacterium isolatum.5
References
References
- Daylight Mine, Barberton (Paleoarchean of South Africa) in the Paleobiology Database
- Eobacterium E.S. Barghoorn & J.W. Schopf, 1966. Retrieved through: Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera on 20 December 2025.
- 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. eISSN 1095-9203. ISSN 0036-8075. JSTOR 1718104. PMID 17797444. S2CID 26997945.
- "Fig Tree microfossils". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. 2016. Retrieved Oct 9, 2016.
- Eobacterium in the Paleobiology Database