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January 2, 2013

World's Oldest Fossils Found in Australia?

Devin Powell, Washington Post


AP Photo

Scientists analyzing Australian rocks have discovered traces of bacteria that lived a record-breaking 3.49 billion years ago, a mere billion years after Earth formed.

If the find withstands the scrutiny that inevitably faces claims of fossils this old, it could move scientists one step closer to understanding the first chapters of life on Earth. The discovery could also spur the search for ancient life on other planets.

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TAGGED: microbes, bacteria, fossils

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