Microfossils of the Niobium and Rare-Earth Ores of the Tomtor Deposit (Yakutia) and Their Biological Interpretation

The importance of biological factors in the genesis of the unique niobium and rare-earth ores of the Tomtor deposit, in northwestern Yakutia, is indisputable, but the exact conditions under which these ores formed remain poorly understood. The first micropaleontological study of these ores suggested the major role of benthic cyanobacterial mats developing along the sea coast. The goal of this paper was to scrutinize that hypothesis. Reexamination of archival materials found no clear evidence of the development of benthic cyanobacterial mats. Instead, signs of active development of plankton communities and communities of benthic sediments were found. The new data reconstruct the environment of shallow, sun-warmed waters well suited for algal blooms.