Oxygen-Producing Life Appeared On Earth 60 Million Years Earlier Than Previously Thought,

Geologists from Trinity College Dublin are readjusting our evolutionary timeline. According to Science Daily, recent findings have concluded that the very first oxygen-producing life forms appeared on Earth 3 billion years ago, pushing the timeline 60 million years earlier. The same life forms were responsible for allowing our planet to flourish in oxygen, encouraging more complex life to evolve millions of years later.
In a joint study between Trinity College Dublin and the Presidency University in Kolkata, India, scientists discovered rocks that were chemically weathered in the presence of oxygen. Upon further examination using uranium-lead isotopes, which is commonly used to determine the age of million-year-old rock formations, it was discovered that the oxygen-related weathering occurred 3.02 billion years ago, indicating that oxygen-producing life capable of photosynthesis. like plants. was present during the time. According to researchers, the weathering and the resulting soil formation would have only occurred in an environment with high amounts of oxygen, which could have only been produced by organisms which can convert sunlight and CO2.
The study has been published on one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals, Geology. Quentin Crowley, a Trinity College Dublin professor who co-authored the study, said that the findings are a great contribution to our current knowledge of evolution-READ MORE