New Fossil Evidence Suggests Existence of Life on Earth 1.75 Billion Years Ago

The traditional belief that life on Earth began nearly 500 million years ago has been challenged by a recent fossil discovery. This discovery suggests that life may have actually started around 1.75 billion years ago, pushing back the timeline by a significant 1.2 billion years.

The focal point of this groundbreaking finding is the oldest known evidence of oxygenic photosynthetic structures in a fossil that dates back 1.75 billion years. These structures indicate an early biological ability to convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into energy and oxygen, signifying the early presence of life.

The significance of this discovery lies in the simplicity of the photosynthetic structures compared to the complexity of life currently found on Earth. Scientists believe these early structures played a pivotal role in the Great Oxygenation Event, which dramatically increased oxygen levels in the atmosphere, enabling a diverse range of life forms to thrive.

This finding was published in the journal Nature, with research focusing on fossils from Australia’s McDermott Formation. Emmanuelle Javaux, a co-author of the study from the University of Liège, highlights the impact of this oxygen production on the Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and the evolution of life, including complex organisms.

Previously, in November 2023, scientists made another significant breakthrough by recreating a chemical reaction thought to have led to the formation of complex, self-replicating structures, eventually giving rise to life on Earth. This involved replicating the series of reactions necessary for the formation of RNA (ribonucleic acid), which is believed to be a key step in the emergence of life. Quoc Phuong Tran, a PhD Candidate in Prebiotic Chemistry at UNSW Sydney, emphasized the importance of this reaction occurring in the Earth’s early, complex environment.