THE first detailed study of a rare isotope of iron in some of the oldest rocks on Earth has boosted the case for the presence of life very early in our planet’s history.
Rocky outcrops found on Akilia Island off the southwest coast of Greenland are thought to be about 3.85 billion years old. Like most of the oldest known rocks, these were once buried deep underground and subjected to enormous heat and pressure. Geologists have argued over whether they are igneous (volcanic) or sedimentary in origin and whether they contain any traces of life.
In 1996, some researchers claimed…
