Thanks to the study of ancient fossils in Canada, scientists were able to find signs of the very first living organisms on Earth, according to an article published in the journal Nature. It turned out that they are represented by tiny filaments and tubes, and their age reaches 4.28 billion years.
This time corresponds to the period after the formation of the planet and hundreds of millions of years before what is currently considered to be evidence of the oldest life found on Earth. However, like all such claims about ancient life, the study still needs confirmation.
The putative microbes found by scientists in Quebec are one-tenth the width of a human hair and contain significant amounts of hematite, a form of iron oxide or 'rust'.
Matthew Dodd, who analyzed structures at University College London (UK), said the discovery would redefine the concept of the origin of life on Earth:
“This discovery allows us to answer the most important questions that humanity is constantly asking: who are we from and why are we here?”
Detailed analysis showed that the fossil structures were enclosed in quartz layers, in the so-called supracrustal belt. This rock is a piece of the ancient ocean floor. It contains some of the oldest volcanic and sedimentary rocks known to science.
