In western Australia, an important development has taken place regarding the first traces of life on our planet. Scientists found stromatolites that were found to be 3.48 billion years ago as part of a study they conducted in the region. To put the term “stromatolite” roughly, this substance can be summarized as the rock formation of layers formed by the feces of photosynthesizing microorganisms.
If you think that the findings from 3.48 billion years ago are the first sign of life on Earth, you are wrong. Similar structures dating back 3.7 billion years have already been found in Greenland. Also, ongoing studies in Canada suggest that stromatolites that formed 4.29 billion years ago may have been found. The news from Australia can be considered as one of the oldest signs of life on Earth.
How were traces of life found in 3.48 billion-year-old rock?
The issue of whether the rocks, which were determined to date back 3.48 billion years, contain organic matter has created a debate. To end these discussions, the scientists who took the sample to France benefited from high-resolution 2 and 3 dimensional imaging techniques. The result of the study was clear. Scientists had detected traces of micro-organic material in some layers of the rocks. In other words, these rocks were not formed by natural events, but by living organisms.
These rocks can provide important information for the search for life on Mars!
Findings in Australia could have important implications for the search for life on Mars. Because scientists have determined that the surface of these rocks is covered with iron oxide. This reaction was also the cause of the rusty orange color you can see in the photo. Experts think that the color of Mars and stromatolites are similar, and that the latest findings can guide studies on Mars. “Some of the analyzes here should be considered as a trial run of the analyzes that we will have to do when we get materials from Mars, that is, about ten years later.” they used the phrase.
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