Trapped within ancient rock formations in the northern desert of Australia, the bodies of tiny organisms hold evidence of a significant evolutionary breakthrough.
According to Science Alert, structures known as thylakoids have been discovered in what is believed to be fossilized cyanobacteria, one of the planet’s earliest forms of life.
1.75 billion-year-old cyanobacteria fossil – (Photo: LIÈGE UNIVERSITY)
Thylakoids still exist today in the cells of photosynthetic organisms containing chlorophyll pigments. These structures function to absorb light for the process of photosynthesis.
The 1.75 billion-year-old fossils found in the McDermott Formation in northern Australia represent the oldest evidence of photosynthesis occurring on Earth. This marks a crucial evolutionary leap that contributed to the establishment of a rich and widespread biosphere.
The research team, led by paleobiologist Catherine Demoulin from the University of Liège (Belgium), stated that these ancient fossils also serve as a new tool for understanding early ecosystems and how life emerged on the planet.
These discoveries suggest that analyzing ancient fossils can help pinpoint the exact moment when structures responsible for photosynthesis first appeared in primitive organisms.
The process of photosynthesis—harnessing sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen—enriched the chemical composition of the early Earth.
In this sense, photosynthetic organisms not only form the foundation of most food webs, but their metabolic processes also provide us and the majority of other organisms with the oxygen needed for survival.
Therefore, it can be said that the 1.75 billion-year-old organisms excavated in Australia represent a pivotal moment in the planet’s journey toward becoming a world teeming with life.
These findings have just been published in a scientific paper in the journal Nature.
