syngenesis

Syngenesis, in a geological context, refers to the formation of a mineral deposit at the same time as the enclosing rock. This is also known as syngenetic formation.1

In contrast, syngenesis can also refer to sexual reproduction, specifically the derivation of a zygote from both paternal and maternal substances.2

Geological processes that lead to mineral deposits involve a concentrating and transporting agent, such as groundwater, seawater, or magma, followed by a process that causes the deposition of minerals. Examples include the crystallization of magma, as seen in pegmatite deposits which are enriched in rare elements. Another process is liquid immiscibility, where a cooling magma precipitates droplets of a second, unmixable magma, often concentrating elements like copper, nickel, and platinum-group metals within iron sulfide. Sedimentary rocks can also contain minerals that form in situ within the depositional site, known as authigenic minerals, in response to geochemical processes.345