"The microfossls detected apparently represent the remains of microbial communities rather than remains of individual microorganisms; the communities were well developed and resembled cyanobacterial communities. The communities functioned in an aquatic enviroment, probably in hydrothermal volcanic activity zones.

One of the scientists, Dr. Stanislav I. Zhmur of the Institute of the Lithosphere of Marginal Seas, RAS, wrotes;

"Comparative analysis of bacteriomorphic structures from the carbonaceous meteorites, Murchison, Efremovka and Allende,... and morphology of microorganisms of modern and ancient terrestrial cyanobacterial community showed that they are analogous.

This gave us reason to consider that these bacteriomorphic structures are fossilized remnants of microorganisms. The lithified remnants are tightly conjugated with the mineral matrix, removing the possibility that they are contaminants.

The selection of microfossils capable of being interpreted as biological is quite wide. Some of them are demonstrated in the pictures."

The photos were first published at a conference sponsored by the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE), entitled "Instruments, Methods and Missions for Astrobiology II." It was organized by by NASA's Richard Hoover. The proceedings of the July conference became available in December.

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