Evidence of ancient life on Earth is tough to find. But some scientists think they’ve found some of the oldest. Previously, it was estimated that the oldest biomolecules known by man were about 2.5 billion years old. However, the oldest biosignatures are actually 3.3 billion years old.
The authors of a new
study claim to have deepened our understanding of Earth’s earliest biosphere
and, at the same time, will provide new avenues for potentially finding past
life on Mars and other planets.
The team studied the
world’s oldest rocks. High-resolution chemical analysis broke down organic and
inorganic materials from the rocks, producing molecular fragments. An
artificial intelligence system was used to recognize the chemical fingerprints
left behind by life. The system learned how to do this by analyzing 406 samples
of plants, animals, fossils, and meteorites. The AI can distinguish between
biological and non-biological material with over 90% accuracy.
The biggest splash was
the detection of photosynthesis in 2.5-billion-years-old rocks. It seems that
ancient life leaves more than fossils. It also leaves chemical echoes, which
the AI can now reliably interpret. Computers have been trained to recognize any
molecular trace left by living organisms, even after the biomolecules were
gone.
Earth’s earliest life
hasn’t left many traces behind, since ancient cells have been swallowed by
Earth’s crust. This has pretty much obliterated clues about the origins of
life. But the researchers hope ancient rocks can reveal glimpses of that
history.
Most organic molecules
from the past have been altered by geological processes but are still useful to
study. And this process isn’t restricted to Earth-formed rocks, either. It
could help guide the search for life on other planets.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-just-upended-the-timeline-of-life-on-earth/ar-AA1RczqG?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6927488fa04e4b7fb9572d1e90909288&ei=71
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