Fossils offer new candidate for earliest life

Scientists have uncovered tiny, iron-rich fossils that come from the depths of an ancient ocean. They were unearthed in Quebec, Canada, and date to somewhere between 4.28 billion and 3.77 billion years ago. Back then, Earth was still a baby.

These tiny structures appear to be remnants of microbes that once lived around hydrothermal vents. These are structures that spew scalding hot water from the seafloor. The tiny tube-like vents might turn out to be ancient cradles of life.

“In a nutshell, what we’ve found are the oldest microfossils on E ... Read more »