Lucknow: In a discovery that opens a rare window into Earth’s distant past, scientists at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) have unearthed some of the oldest and best-preserved microfossils ever found. The finding comes from iron-rich rocks in Madhya Pradesh that date back nearly 2.85 billion years.
Dr. Arif Husain Ansari, Senior Scientist at BSIP, said the fossils were discovered inside the ancient rocks and are so tiny that they can only be seen under a microscope. “They may look small, but their story is enormous,” he said.
The microfossils closely resemble Huroniospora, ancient microbes earlier known from 1.85-billion-year-old rocks in Ontario, Canada. What makes this discovery remarkable, Dr. Ansari explained, is not only their extreme age but also the clues they provide about early life and survival on a planet that was far different from today.
Nearly three billion years ago, Earth had almost no oxygen in its atmosphere. The oceans were rich in dissolved iron, and the surface looked alien. Yet, these microbes managed to survive and thrive by using sunlight to convert dissolved iron into sediments through a process known as anaerobic photosynthesis. This activity gradually locked away vast amounts of iron and shifted Earth’s chemistry toward oxidation.
“This quiet work of microbes changed Earth forever,” Dr. Ansari said. “Over millions of years, they built up thick layers of iron-rich rock that we still study today.”
He added that the discovery proves life was already shaping the planet long before oxygen-producing microbes emerged. “These fossils challenge the old belief that oxygen-producers were the first great planet-builders. They show that life, even in its tiniest form, has always had the power to transform the world,” Dr. Ansari said.
