Stromatolites are evidence of some of the earliest forms of life on earth. Even though they are billions of years old, we share similarities in key genes with these fossilised remains.

Stromatolites formed from cyanobacteria, a type of blue-green algae that evolved about 2.7 billion years ago. These tiny organisms were the first to use sunlight to produce energy, releasing oxygen as a by-product. Over millions of years this process changed the Earth's atmosphere allowing new forms of life to evolve.

To create the fossilised remains we find today, layers upon layers of these cyanobacteria formed ‘reefs’. South Australian Artist Peter Syndicas creates sculptural forms from these Stromatolite rocks.