Photosynthesis 3.7 billion years old?

Researchers from Denmark have found what they claim to be evidence of photosynthesis in oceanic rock that is 3.7 billion years old, roughly a billion years older than current estimates. The researchers compared the relative abundance of uranium and thorium from ancient rock near Isua, Greenland, and their data suggest that the oceanic environment of the Earth 3.7 billion years ago was oxidative. This led them to conclude that photosynthesis was occurring to explain the presence of oxygen (a byproduct of photosynthesis).

Links:

Oldest evidence of photosynthesis from BBC Online.
What is photosynthesis? from Arizona State University has an extensive set of links on photosynthesis, with each link graded for the reader's level of understanding of photosynthesis. The site was last updated 2.5 years ago, so some of the links probably no longer work.

Lastly, the most recent issue of the Davidsonia has an article by Guy and Krakowski that explains the fundamentals of photosynthesis in the course of revealing why plants change colour in the autumn. This article is not available online, but issues of the Davidsonia can be purchased from the Shop in the Garden or by using the Order Copies form found on Davidsonia-related web pages.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:18 PM on December 17, 2003

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