NEW PRIGRESS IN THE STUDY OF STRSATOMALITES──microbialite

The data and materials from the Intermational Symposium on Stromatolites and thePlenary Meeting of IGCP Project 261 held in Tianjin,China,in October 1992,show that manymajor advances in the study of stromatolites have been made again in the world in recent years. Stromatolites are the main representarive of biogenic deposits formed by interaction betweenbenthic microbial commuities and detrital or chemical deposits, in China, microbialites arewidely distributed in strata of different ages,especially in the Proterozoic, Thus it is an important way for all relevane Chinese geologists to start a comprhensive research on all kinds of mi-crobiolites and take an active part in the work of IGCP Project 344（biosedimentology aid Cor-relation of Microbial Buildups） In order to develop geologi cal,paleontological and sedimento-logical theories and mew methods for mineral and oil prospecting。