World's Oldest Fossils Found In Australia

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday January 1, 2013 @10:12PM from the but-do-they-run-linux dept.

Dexter Herbivore sends this quote from the Washington Post: "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. These traces of bacteria 'are the oldest fossils ever described. Those are our oldest ancestors,' said Nora Noffke, a biogeochemist at Old Dominion University in Norfolk who was part of the group that made the find and presented it last month at a meeting of the Geological Society of America."

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Lightweight by LordLucless · 2013-01-01 22:31 · Score: 5, Funny

I'm sure there's plenty of older ones in Canberra

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Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
Its not exactly a secret by ripnet · 2013-01-01 22:33 · Score: 5, Funny

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch
Re:Hopefully... by ae1294 · 2013-01-01 23:07 · Score: 2, Funny

Is this something that Curiosity is equipped to find?
No Curiosity isn't equipped with "Scientists analyzing Australian rocks". Sorry maybe next go round...
Re:How Old? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-02 01:05 · Score: 3, Funny

Probably tree rings.
Re:Correctian by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-02 01:59 · Score: 1, Funny

Sure, just don't get in the way of my belief that evolution and the big bang are Lies Straight From the Pit Of Hell when I'm setting the agenda for the country.