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Science news reports:
(original report abstract here)
Eleven micro-fossils though to be the remains of bacteria (some dispute this) from Australia dated to 3.5 billion years ago have been analyzed with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).
This has revealed different ratios of different weight carbon atoms suggesting they represent 5 different kinds of organisms.
"Two types of microfossils had the same carbon ratio as modern bacteria that use light to make carbon compounds that fuel their activities—a primitive photosynthesis that did not involve oxygen. Two other types of microfossils had the same carbon ratios as microbes known as archaea that depend on methane as their energy source—and that played a pivotal role in the development of multicellular life. The ratio of a final type of microfossil indicated that this organism produced methane as part of its metabolism."
The authors argue that this:
1) supports the claims that the fossils are biological in origin,
2) that bacteria and archaea have both evolved (diverged) prior to the formation of the fossils, and
3) supports claims or an earlier origin of life (perhaps 4 billion years ago).
#3 would support claims that life is not so difficult to get started (at least on earth).
(original report abstract here)
Eleven micro-fossils though to be the remains of bacteria (some dispute this) from Australia dated to 3.5 billion years ago have been analyzed with secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS).
This has revealed different ratios of different weight carbon atoms suggesting they represent 5 different kinds of organisms.
"Two types of microfossils had the same carbon ratio as modern bacteria that use light to make carbon compounds that fuel their activities—a primitive photosynthesis that did not involve oxygen. Two other types of microfossils had the same carbon ratios as microbes known as archaea that depend on methane as their energy source—and that played a pivotal role in the development of multicellular life. The ratio of a final type of microfossil indicated that this organism produced methane as part of its metabolism."
The authors argue that this:
1) supports the claims that the fossils are biological in origin,
2) that bacteria and archaea have both evolved (diverged) prior to the formation of the fossils, and
3) supports claims or an earlier origin of life (perhaps 4 billion years ago).
#3 would support claims that life is not so difficult to get started (at least on earth).