A group of scientists from the UK headed by Matthew Dodd found in Canada the traces of ancient bacteria, whose age, according to experts, is at least 3.7 billion years. The study was conducted in the mountains Nuvvuagittuq near Quebec and, according to Dodd, provides convincing evidence that life appeared on Earth much earlier than is commonly believed now.
What exactly is found out?
Traditionally it is believed that the first life forms were born from the underwater heat sources, where they received necessary for their existence minerals and heat. During research Matthew Dodd and his colleagues studied sedimentary rocks that formed due to these sources, for the presence of traces of microorganisms. As the result microscopic “tubes” were discovered with chemical composition and structure which correspond to previously discovered ancient forms of life.
“Tube” under the microscope
Dodd also claims that “tube” is in microscopic cavities, presumably formed due to decomposition of bacteria after their death, which is another proof of the organic origin of the findings. Researchers found out that these organisms existed more than 3.7 billion years ago, making it the oldest life forms on Earth.
Why is that interesting?
At the moment, scientists still do not have accurate data about when life originated on Earth. The first living organisms existed during the Archean era, and their birth allegedly happened 3.4 billion years ago. However, not all scientists agree with the official theory. So, mark Harrison, in his study claims that life on Earth appeared over 4 billion years ago. This conclusion was based on the study of zircons, which contained traces of activity of ancient microorganisms.
The study of Dodd and his colleagues supports the Harrison’s theory β the findings suggest that the age discovered “tubes” can reach of 4.28 billion years. Thus, microorganisms from Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone belt occurred almost at the same time with these mountains in just 200 million years after the formation of the Earth. This discovery turns the idea of scientists about life on our planet, and opens new opportunities to explore our cosmic home.
However, Matthew Dodd sees the prospects of their research asΒ much more extensive. The scientist says that the data allows to assume possibility of existence of life on Mars. During the formation of the Solar system the red planet differed from Earth, had its oceans and, possibly, its forms of life. Later Mars became what we know it now, but traces of microorganisms on it still could be saved. Dodd believes that they can be found in rocks that formed about 4 billion years ago.
Review from HIT-Media expert
Belov, Andrey Valerevich, Professor of biology, senior coordinator HSE Lyceum
Similar findings were made repeatedly. In hydrothermal sources found bacteria that in the enormous temperatures and lack of oxygen got energy from sulfur compounds. However, there was no way to prove that they arose in the early stages of development of the planet. Now the arguments sound quite convincing and give the right to believe that life on other planets in the Solar system can exist beyond the atmosphere, similar to Earth, and look how these sulfur bacteria, which can significantly facilitate the search.
