The Formation of Earth
Researchers propose the Earth was formed from a mixture of gas and dust around 4.6 billion years ago, during the infancy of the sun.
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Over the millions of years that followed, an unprecedented number of collisions between our young planet and asteroids and other smaller celestial bodies grew on Earth, shaping it into the blue planet we know today.
Life Emerges on Earth
Scientists believe the first lifeforms began to emerge as little as 300 million years after the formation of Earth. However, evidence of this is sparse and has proven somewhat challenging for researchers.
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Nonetheless, if they are correct in their assessment, fossils of some kind must lie awaiting discovery in the deepest parts of the planet. Researchers are actively drilling into rocks to search for remnants of the emergence of life, hoping to find examples that date back over four billion years.
German Researchers Analyze Ancient South African Fossil
A team of scientists working in Buck Reef Chert in the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa discovered several fossils that could shed light on the emergence of life on Earth.
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This particular region is known for having some of the oldest sedimentary rocks on Earth, and the team of German-based scientists set out to investigate whether it could provide an answer as to when life first emerged on our planet.
3.4 Billion-Year-Old Microorganisms
The researchers from the University of Göttingen successfully extracted chemical signatures from the fossils, which provided valuable insight into the biodiversity of early organisms that existed during the first billion years of life on Earth.
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Further study of the specimens could help scientists better understand the complex ecosystems that existed on Earth as far back as 3.4 billion years ago.
Earth Was Teeming With Life 3 Billion Years Ago
Due to the work of researchers such as the scientists from the University of Göttingenm, we can confidently say that Earth was full of life around 3 billion years ago.
According to Frances Westall, an expert in ancient biology from the French National Centre for Scientific Research, “It’s very difficult to see the trend simply because of a lack of well-preserved rocks.”
Comparing Ancient Microorganisms With Those of the Modern Era
Westall, who did not participate in the new study, shared his thoughts on the German researchers’ discovery, proposing that microscopic life billions of years ago might not have been that different from what is observed today.
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“What I’m reading out of this is that early life was working very much similarly to life today,” he said.
Early Life on Earth
Westall shared his opinion about the early beginning of life on Earth, proposing that it likely emerged during the planet’s infancy.
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“Personally, I think life emerged on Earth during the Hadean, probably about 4.2, 4.1 billion years [ago],” said the researchers.
Scientists Analyze the Chemical Composition of Microbes Within the Fossils
The fossils analyzed by scientists from Barberton Greenstone Belt currently rank amongst some of the oldest ever discovered. Researchers estimate they are around 3.42 billion years old.
Source: Freepik
Earlier studies analyzed the shape of the fossilized microbes in the rock. However, the new study, published in the journal Precambrian, went one step further and investigated the chemical composition of the microbes within the fossil.
Ancient Microorganisms Thrived on Sunlight
The results of their study revealed that during this part of Earth’s history, there were a lot of “photoautotrophs,” which are specific kinds of bacteria that take in sunlight and convert it to energy.
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During their study, the researchers also discovered that certain microbes were already using sulfate to create complex chemicals, including acetate and methane.
The Complexity of Life 3.4 Billion Years Ago
According to the researchers, the nature of their study provided them with evidence to suggest that life was already reasonably complex on Earth as far back as 3.4 billion years ago.
Source: Freepik
“These results highlight the existence of an advanced biological carbon cycle as early as 3.42 Ga ago,” they said.
Will Researchers Ever Find Fossils Dating Back 4 Billion Years?
Researchers are now poised to explore similar sites around the world known for their ancient fossils. Their hope is to find a specimen that could conclusively prove life emerged over four billion years ago, opening up new chapters in our understanding of early Earth history.
Source: Freepik
Meanwhile, the scientists remain dedicated to their work, conducting further investigations on known examples in hopes of creating a fuller picture of early life on Earth.