Are These the Oldest Fossils Ever Found? | National Geographic

Through laser imaging of the samples, we were able to identify the microfossils as the oldest known microfossils on Earth. The microfossils we discovered are about 300 million years older than the previously thought oldest microfossils. So, they are within a few hundred million years from the accretion of the solar system and of planet Earth and the Sun and the Moon, and so on.

I went to this Nagito super crustal belt in Northern Quebec, on the shoreline near to the Nasta Islands. When I saw these structures in the field, I said, "I have to sample this." The most exciting thing about this discovery is that we know that life managed to get a grip and start on Earth at such an early time in Earth's evolution.

This discovery gives us exciting questions as to whether we are alone in the solar system or in the universe. I'm keen to look at more examples of hydrothermal vent deposits, and if we can take our knowledge of how organic matter and microfossils are preserved on Earth and apply them to hydrothermal systems on other planets like Mars or Europa.