The Qingbaikouan stromatolites from the Tianshuihai Group Complex in the Karakorum region, Xinjiang

Abundant stromatolite fossils were collected in 2003 from the Tianshuihai Group in the Karakorum region, Xinjiang. These fossils may be traced back to the Qingbaikouan of the Neoproterozoic. The Tianshuihai Group Complex appears as the oldest strata in the Karakorum region, and was previously assigned to the Changchengian strata. The rocks from the Group Complex have been highly metamorphosed into the green schist facies. The fossils data, deformatim and metamorphism allow the relineation of the studied strata into the Tianshuihai Group Complex.