In: Biology
Which of these constitute credible fossil evidence for the oldest life on Earth?
-The stromatolites from the Barberton Mountain Land in South Africa.
-Large, up to 300 µm in diameter spheroids made up of isotopically light carbon found in the Moodies Group (South Africa).
-Cyanobacterial fossils from the Apex Chert in Australia.
-Zircon crystals from the Jack Hills Conglomerate in the Yilgarn Block, Western Australia.
The fossil remains in the Barberton Greenstone Belt of south Africa are as old as 3.5 billion years. The Archean life history could be studied from this belt due to exposed sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks.
Organic-walled microfossils in Mesoarchaean shales and siltstones Moodies Group, South Africa are nearly 3.2 billion years old. These are the oldest Archaean organic-walled spheroidal microfossils reported.
The basalt formations of Apex Chert in Western Australia were dated at 3.465 billion years.
The haden zircons formed around 4.39 billion years ago in the Mid West Western Australia. It is the oldest dated material of earth till today.
Based on the above information, it is clear that Option D i.e “Zircon crystals from the Jack Hills Conglomerate in the Yilgarn Block, Western Australia” constitute the credible fossil evidence for the oldest life on Earth