Researchers have uncovered the earliest known evidence of photosynthesis, dating back 1.75 billion years, in microfossils found in the Australian desert. These microfossils belong to cyanobacteria, organisms that could have been pivotal in oxygenating Earth’s atmosphere during the Great Oxidation Event. The discovery, published in Nature, pushes back the fossil record of photosynthesizing cells by over a billion years and could offer new insights into the origins of life. The presence of thylakoids within these ancient cells is a key indicator of their photosynthetic ability. This breakthrough emphasizes the significance of studying fossil cell ultrastructure to understand their paleobiology and evolutionary history.
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