Pentagon wall made from ancient bacteria than dinosaurs

Some Pentagon building blocks and the Empire State building in the United States are made of mineralized bacteria that existed 340 million years ago, before the time of the dinosaurs.

The material, known as oolite limestone, is a popular construction material worldwide and is almost entirely made of carbonate spheres of a millimeter-sized size called ooid.

Pentagon wall made from ancient bacteria than dinosaurs Picture 1 Pentagon wall made from ancient bacteria than dinosaurs Picture 1

Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) discovered that ooid is made up of mineralized layers of bacteria, rejecting the "snowball" theory that ooid is formed by floating particles. washed up on the sea floor and accumulated sediments.

Bob Burne from ANU said: "We have given a completely different explanation about ooid's origin."

"Our research highlights another important role of bacteria on the earth and in our lives," Burne said.

Various oolitic limestone formations have been formed in all geological eras and have been found around the world, including in the US, UK, Germany, Bahamas, China and Shark Bay in Western Australia.

Burne said people have known and used oolitic limestone since ancient times. Many blocks of oolite limestone form excellent building stones, because they are very light and durable. Ooolite limestone is also found in India, in the United States used to build Pentagon parts and parts of the Empire State Building in New York City.

Burne, the head of the study, told the Scientific Reports: "This type of material in England was used to build Buckingham Palace and many cities of Bath, the British Museum and St Cathedral. Paul's " .

ANU's Murray T Batchelor said: "Using the mathematical model, we explain the concentric accumulation of layers of this material, from which, predict the size of the coating materials'.

See more: