A research team from the University of Tokyo says it has found what may be living microbes from a 2-billion-year-old geological strata in South Africa. If confirmed, the finding could be the oldest living microbes ever found, and could provide clues to unravel the origin and evolution of life on Earth.
The team led by Associate Professor Suzuki Yohei took part in an international project in May for scientific drilling into strata known as Bushveld in northeastern South Africa.
The Bushveld strata were formed 2 billion years ago when the mantle deep inside the earth rose into the earth crust. The area is known as one of the world’s largest deposits of chrome, platinum, and other critical minerals.
By the end of June, the University of Tokyo team had drilled into a depth of 500 meters in the strata.
Suzuki brought back to Japan some rock samples his team obtained so far. He says close observation has detected a large number of microbes in a fissure in the rock.
He says that a more detailed analysis has shown those microbes have cells which contain DNA, and protein which can only be generated by living things were detected from those cells. He says these items of evidence strongly suggest microbes are still alive in the rocks.
The team says the strata where the drilling was made are known to have been stable since their formation, and it is very likely that the primordial microbes dating back to 2 billion years ago have survived inside the rocks.
The discovery could significantly rewrite the history of ancient microbes. The oldest living microbes found in the past were about 100 million years old. They were found in deposits on the seabed.
Suzuki’s team plans to conduct a genome analysis to determine whether the microbes they have found actually date back 2 billion years ago.
The team says it will then examine genetic information from the microbes in detail to find out new clues as to the origins of life on Earth, and its developments.
Suzuki says that there is a possibility that the microbes found are totally different from any other living creature humans know, and the discovery therefore could upend all the existing knowledge in biology. He says he expects the 2 billion-year-old microbes will provide a key to unlocking the mysteries of the origins of life.