Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Early "Fossils" Formed by Tectonics, not Life
https://science.energy.gov/bes/highlights/2019/bes-2019-02-b/02.11.19
Early “Fossils” Formed by Tectonics, not Life
The 3.7-billion-year-old structures were considered the first evidence for life on the planet; new evidence suggests differently.
The Science
Scientists re-examined early “fossils.” They found the structures to be of geological, not biological, origin.
The Impact
Dating the beginnings of life on Earth has major implications for understanding how life emerged and evolved. Also, it has implications for the search for life on Mars and other planets.
Summary
Scientists re-evaluated evidence of life in 3.7-billion-year-old rock structures and found that the structures were of geological origin and not—as previously thought—of biological origin. Until this study, the structures were considered the earliest evidence for life on Earth. Previous studies on these rock samples employed millimeter-scale information using laser ablation analysis to determine the origin of the formations. For this study, the team of scientists used micrometer X-ray florescence analysis at the National Synchrotron Light Source II. Using the Submicron Resolution X-ray Beamline, they revealed crucial new evidence based on the elemental make-up of the rock structures. This evidence supported the conclusion that the rock formations are of non-biological origin. Finding evidence and dating the beginnings of life on Earth has important implications for our understanding on how life emerged and evolved. This knowledge can also help scientists in the search for life on other planets.
…
https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0610-4Early “Fossils” Formed by Tectonics, not Life
The 3.7-billion-year-old structures were considered the first evidence for life on the planet; new evidence suggests differently.
The Science
Scientists re-examined early “fossils.” They found the structures to be of geological, not biological, origin.
The Impact
Dating the beginnings of life on Earth has major implications for understanding how life emerged and evolved. Also, it has implications for the search for life on Mars and other planets.
Summary
Scientists re-evaluated evidence of life in 3.7-billion-year-old rock structures and found that the structures were of geological origin and not—as previously thought—of biological origin. Until this study, the structures were considered the earliest evidence for life on Earth. Previous studies on these rock samples employed millimeter-scale information using laser ablation analysis to determine the origin of the formations. For this study, the team of scientists used micrometer X-ray florescence analysis at the National Synchrotron Light Source II. Using the Submicron Resolution X-ray Beamline, they revealed crucial new evidence based on the elemental make-up of the rock structures. This evidence supported the conclusion that the rock formations are of non-biological origin. Finding evidence and dating the beginnings of life on Earth has important implications for our understanding on how life emerged and evolved. This knowledge can also help scientists in the search for life on other planets.
…
