Many scientists believe that there are animals living on our planet 635 million He estimated that it started about a year ago. However, new research has shown that it may have started much earlier than previously thought.

A research team working in Gabon discovered that complex life on Earth 1.5 billion years earlier than thought may have started He announced that they had found new evidence to support the theories about this. The findings were published via Precambrian Research.

Slimy creatures may have lived 2.1 billion years ago

The team is deep in the rocks 2.1 billion years ago He says they have achieved environmental conditions where animals can live. However, these organisms are confined to an inland sea, so They cannot spread worldwide they add. So after a while they disappeared.

Even if they disappear in Franceville, Gabon The findings indicate that animals may have lived much earlier than is generally believed. To make these predictions come true, experts tried to find substances that could sustain life, such as oxygen and phosphorus, in the rocks surrounding the formations. It should be noted that these formations, which are still debated as to whether they are fossils or not, were first discovered a decade ago.

The team of international researchers, led by Professor Ernest Chi Fru from Cardiff University in Wales, found that if their theory is correct, these life forms are single-celled, brainless, spore-proliferating species. may resemble slime molds They declared.

Of course, within the scope of this research, some reservations There is also. For example, Professor Graham Shields, who was not involved in the research, argued that more evidence was needed: ““I’m not against the idea that there were higher nutrients available 2.1 billion years ago, but I’m not convinced that this would have led to the diversity that would have led to complex life forms.”