Precambrian endoliths discovered

The earliest known microborings have now been found in late Precambrian ooids (Upper Riphean/Vendian, 570-700 Myr) of the Eleonore Bay Group of eastern Greenland. The ooids were originally carbonaceous and underwent silicification after boring occurred. The finding establishes that the habit of microbial boring evolved before the appearance of skeleton-bearing metazoans in the geological record.