A team of researchers used advanced chemical technology along with AI to examine ancient rocks that were 3.3 billion years old and found evidence confirming that life existed at that time and also found that photosynthesis It may have occurred on Earth 800 million years earlier than recorded history.
Previously, the earliest and most widely accepted evidence of life existed. are fossils in 3.48 billion year old rocks from the Dresser Formation in Australia that are believed to be traces of ancient cell membranes preserved in hot spring sediments.
But such discoveries are very rare “exceptions”. Because the early Earth (before 500 million years ago) was full of single-celled organisms and algae. which do not have bones or hard shells that can be turned into fossils Moreover, most sedimentary rocks have been compacted and melted over time to the point that little biological trace remains.
Using AI to trace invisible “chemical fingerprints”
The Carnegie Institute-led research team therefore took a different approach. They created a huge chemical database from more than 400 samples, including ancient rocks, fossils and modern organisms. To train the AI, look for Chemical form (Chemical Patterns)
Instead of looking at single elements like carbon, which might be produced by a volcanic eruption or a meteorite, AI is taught to look for the unique complexity of living things. Because living cells produce specialized molecules in large quantities. Not scattered like normal natural processes.
Results that changed the course of history
What AI has discovered has created a stir in the scientific world:
- Traces of life found in rocks 3.3 billion years old: evidence of chemistry nearly twice as old as the previous record (1.7 billion years)
- Evidence of photosynthesis found: Data suggests that living things began using sunlight to create energy at least 2.5 billion years ago. That’s 800 million years earlier than scientists previously understood.
Robert Hazen, a geochemist on the research team, had this to say:
Research tells us that Ancient organisms left behind not only fossils but also ‘chemical traces’, and machine learning technology is helping us detect and understand their meaning for the first time.
Of course, this success doesn’t stop on Earth. The method could be used to investigate mysterious 4.2-billion-year-old rocks in Canada. And that’s even more exciting. is used in space exploration missions To scan for echoes of living things in rocks on Mars or under the ice of the moon Europa (Europa), which may be the key to answering the question ” Are we alone in the universe?
Reference: forbes