Miscellaneous News

Oldest Microbial Life Traces

August 24 , 2026 12 hrs 0 min 19 0

Researchers found evidence of microbial life dating back at least 3.5 billion years in a rock from eastern India.
The rock, a carbon-bearing chert, was found at Bhitardari in the Singhbhum Craton, covering parts of Jharkhand and Odisha.
Four of eight zircon crystals analysed gave an age of about 3,497 million years, helping establish the rock’s age.
Chemical evidence, including carbon isotope patterns and degraded organic matter, indicates that the carbon was produced by living organisms.
The finding could represent the oldest directly dated rock with a confirmed biosignature, according to the researchers.
The discovery suggests that microbial life existed relatively early in Earth’s history, about 1 billion years after Earth formed.