Eyecatchers-199: Photosynthesis began 1.25 billion years ago on earth

Photosynthesis began 1.25 billion years ago on earth

The world’s oldest algae fossis are a billion years old, according to a study which found that the basis for photosynthesis in today’s plants was set in place 1.25 billion years ago.

The study published in the journal, Geology, may resolve a long-standing mysery over the age of fossilized algae, Bangiomorpha pubescens, which were first discovers in rocks in Arctic  Canada in 1990.

The microscopic organism is believed to be the oldest known direct ancestor of modern plants and animals, but it was poorly dated, with estimates placing it somewhere between million and 1.2 billion years.

Courtesy: The New Indian Express, 24 Dec 2017