The oldest fossil in the world on my back doorstep

So, me and 2.7billion year old stromatolites go waaaay back.. so when the news came out that there was another fossilised microbe found just down the road (800km away) in Strelley Pool, and then to find out that it was 3.4 billion years old and THEN to find out is was a sulphur based life form.. well.. i just about fell out of my chair.

check out references here here and here
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo1238.html
http://news.discovery.com/space/microfossil-bacteria-oldest-earth-110821.html
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/worlds-oldest-fossil-found-australia-165208037.html

all my christmasses have come at once, seriously.. I was born in Carnarvon, near shark bay where Hamlins Pool is located, this is a world heritage area because it hosts the best living specimen of a blue green algae microbe which form as stromatolites. these particular microbes create oxygen in the ocean and played a critical part in setting up an environment in which carbon based life froms could flourish.. (and if left to do their job could help reoxygenate the ocean that we've managed to deplete)

so.. this latest verification of an even older sulphur based microbe in a similar area is, well.. freakin exciting..

seriously cant get more excited right now :)

signing off

Mel