"They found that these signals can still be detected even after billions of years of geological wear and tear. 'This study represents a major leap forward in our ability to decode Earth's oldest biological signatures,' Dr Robert Hazen, one of the study's authors, said. 'By pairing powerful chemical analysis with machine learning, we have a way to read molecular "ghosts" left behind by early life that still whisper their secrets after billions of years. Earth's oldest rocks have stories to tell and we're just beginning to hear them.'"
"For their new study, the scientists examined more than 400 samples of plants, animals, ancient sediments, fossils and even meteorites to see if life's signature still exists in rocks long after the original biomolecules are gone. They used a method called pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to release trapped chemical fragments from each sample. Using AI, they were then able to determine - with over 90 per cent accuracy - if the chemical fingerprints had been left by a living organism."
Researchers trained computers to recognise subtle molecular signatures left by ancient organisms and analysed more than 400 samples including plants, animals, sediments, fossils and meteorites. They applied pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to release trapped chemical fragments and used machine learning to classify chemical fingerprints with over 90% accuracy. Chemical signals consistent with life were identified in 3.3-billion-year-old sediment from South Africa, pushing chemical evidence back by roughly 1.6 billion years. The approach shows that faint biosignatures can survive extensive geological alteration and could inform searches for life on other planets.
Read at Mail Online
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