Ancient rock art has "biofilm"
Tasty closeups of bacteria and fungi beyond.
The "Bradshaw art" rock art in Western Australia has apparently maintained its vivid colors with the aid of bacteria and fungi colonizing them. The pigments of the original have been replaced by pigmented microorganisms.
This could help explain why it's been so difficult to date some of this rock art, since while the art itself might be ancient the "living pigments" are recent.
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