Explore Natural Philosophy

Phil • Cr. Think • Science • Hist •

Oldest Known Fossil-Microorganisms

~ < 1 of audio

Oldest Known Fossil-Microorganisms

3.42 Billion BCE
3.42 to 3.7 Billion BCE

The earliest known life on Earth are fossilized microorganisms found in hydrothermal vent precipitates. Currently dated to about 3.42 billion BCE. These microorganisms were prokaryote cells. Single celled organisms with no nucleus and had early simple DNA. More complex DNA in a nucleus evolved about 1.5 billion years later in Eukaryotic cells, circa 2 billion BCE.

  • Domain: Bacteria or Archaea > Kingdom: Various


That Science Story, 

was first published on TST 5 years ago.
All story is part of the broader TST project.
Timelines, quotes, FAQs, and short explanations function as research anchors — designed to be reused, cross-linked, and updated as better evidence emerges.

The end!

Scroll to Top