A recent study has shed light on life on Earth over 3.3 billion years ago, offering intriguing new evidence. Researchers discovered chemical traces that suggest oxygen-producing photosynthesis began nearly a billion years earlier than we thought.
Led by scientists from the Carnegie Institution for Science, the team combined advanced chemistry with artificial intelligence to unlock these ancient secrets. Using machine learning, they trained computers to recognize subtle molecular cues left by early life forms, even as the original biological materials had long since broken down.
Michigan State University’s Katie Maloney was part of this groundbreaking research. She contributed well-preserved seaweed fossils from the Yukon Territory in Canada, dating back nearly a billion years. These fossils represent some of Earth’s earliest complex life, surviving from a time when most organisms were microscopic.
This research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, broadens our understanding of early life on Earth and may help in the search for extraterrestrial life. Similar techniques could be applied to rocks from Mars or other planets to look for past life signs.
Maloney emphasizes the importance of this work. She notes that ancient rocks contain stories that are waiting to be told. By marrying chemical analysis with AI, researchers can now uncover biological clues that have been hidden for eons.
The remnants of early life are scarce. Many cellular structures and microbial mats were buried and transformed within Earth’s crust. This damage makes finding clear biosignatures challenging, but the new study shows that we can still extract valuable information from residual molecular fragments.
Moreover, the team examined over 400 samples, ranging from fossils to meteorites. Their AI model achieved over 90% accuracy in distinguishing biological from non-biological materials and identified evidence of photosynthesis in rocks dating back 2.5 billion years.
Previously, signs of life were generally found in rocks younger than 1.7 billion years. This groundbreaking method creates a new timeframe for studying life’s chemical signatures, effectively doubling the period researchers can investigate.
Dr. Robert Hazen, a co-author of the study, highlighted that ancient life leaves behind more than just fossils; it also leaves behind chemical echoes that we can now interpret more effectively. Maloney believes this innovative approach could guide future efforts in the search for life beyond Earth.
For more detailed insights, you can check the full study here. This work not only enhances our understanding of Earth’s early biosphere but also underscores the potential for discovering life elsewhere in the cosmos.
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