Fossils dating back to the origins of the Earth. The discovery within the so-called Nuvvuagittuq belt , a peculiar geological corner in Quebec (Canada), of microfossils with at least 3,770 million years old makes them the most ancient that we know of so far. The fossils found suggest that life could arise and colonize the sea very soon after the formation of the Earth, which allows us to theorize that there were planets similar to ours that went through the same process. The first one we think of is Mars.
These remains are found in sedimentary rocks that belonged to ancient hydrothermal vents where microscopic tubes and filaments, formed by bacteria that lived on iron, have become the first evidence of life on Earth. And this is not surprising, since the hydrothermal vents under the oceans represent one of the first scenarios that harbored life on Earth thanks to their rich iron content.
“ Our discovery supports the idea that life emerged from hot seabed vents shortly after planet Earth formed . This rapid emergence of life on Earth fits other evidence of sediment from 3.7 billion years ago. years that were shaped by microorganisms, “explains Matthew Dodd, leader of the work.
The experts analyzed fragments of jasper , a sedimentary rock found in the Nuvvuagituuq strip previously dated between 3,770 and 4,290 million years . Using a combination of optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy (to study low-frequency modes), the scientists were able to identify both the microfossils and the mineralogy associated with them.
The results have confirmed that life thrived in these hydrothermal environments shortly after Earth’s origins. Among the elements found in the rocks are: microfossils in the form of iron tubes with or without internal iron filaments, granules of iron oxide, cut carbonate rosettes and surrounded by masses of apatite or twisted iron filaments. All of them, a product of putrefaction.
“The structures are made up of minerals that are expected to form from putrefaction, and they have been well documented throughout the geological record, from the beginning until today. The fact of unearthing them from one of the oldest known rock formations , suggests that we have found direct evidence for one of the oldest life forms on Earth. This discovery helps us reconstruct the history of our planet and the remarkable life on it and will help identify traces of life in other parts of the universe. “says Dodd.
“These discoveries demonstrate that life developed on Earth at a time when Mars and Earth had liquid water on their surfaces, raising exciting questions about extraterrestrial life. Therefore, we hope to find evidence of past life in Mars 4,000 million years old, or else, Earth may have been a special exception, “concludes Dodd.
The study, developed by an international team of scientists led by researchers from University College London (UK), has been published in the journal Nature.
