Complex life forms existed 1.5B years earlier than believed, study finds

A recent study published in Precambrian Research suggests that complex life forms may have existed on Earth 1.5 billion years earlier than previously thought, challenging the belief that they first emerged 635 million years ago. Conducted by researchers from Cardiff University and other institutions, the study found evidence in marine sedimentary rocks from the Franceville Basin near Gabon, Central Africa. This area experienced underwater volcanic activity due to the collision of two Precambrian continents, the Congo and São Francisco cratons, around 2.1 billion years ago. The researchers propose that the availability of phosphorus in this nutrient-rich environment facilitated the transition from simple single-celled organisms to more complex life forms. The study also validates the biological significance of lobate macrofossils, which have been debated in the scientific community. The underwater volcanic activity is believed to have led to cyanobacterial photosynthesis, creating a food resource that supported the development of complex life. However, these early complex organisms did not spread globally due to the restricted nature of their environment and eventually became extinct. The researchers suggest that while this initial attempt at complex life failed to proliferate, a subsequent evolutionary event eventually led to the diverse animal life seen today.