Comment on "Early Archaean microorganisms preferred elemental sulfur, not sulfate".
Philippot et al. (Reports, 14 September 2007, p. 1534) interpreted multiple-sulfur isotopic compositions of approximately 3.5-billion-year-old marine sulfide deposits as evidence that early Archaean microorganisms were not sulfate reducers but instead metabolized elemental sulfur. However, their data can be better explained by a scenario involving poor mixing of photochemical and surface sulfide sources.
Bao
Huiming
H
Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, E235 Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. bao@lsu.edu
Sun
Tao
T
Kohl
Issaku
I
Peng
Yongbo
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D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010777:Photochemistry; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism*; D013440:Sulfides / Q000032:analysis; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013460:Sulfur Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D016999:Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*
D013431:Sulfates; D013440:Sulfides; D013460:Sulfur Isotopes; C011342:pyrite; D013455:Sulfur; D007501:Iron