Chemical analysis adds to evidence for early microfossils
Well-preserved samples enable examination of intact microstructures rather than powdered material
Analysis of intact samples adds evidence to support the claim that 3.4 billion year old microstructures are fossils of early life forms, and that organic molecular information can survive intense geological conditions, according to an international team of researchers.
When it comes to preserving fossil evidence of early life on Earth, billions of years buried at high temperature and pressure, coupled with geothermal circulation of fluids makes for tough conditions. Efforts to analyse the chemical composition of the most ancient microfossils have usually involved crushing the samples into powder – on the premise that the fossils are too degraded to yield chemical insights otherwise. But crushing the samples leaves open the possibility that any organic matter found could be from recent colonisers of the rock rather than only from the ancient microstructures.