Tiny 1.7-billion-year-old fossils could reveal how complex life began
Scientists are studying 1.7-billion-year-old fossils to understand the emergence of eukaryotes, the first complex life forms on Earth, which eventually led to all plants, animals, and fungi. Reconstructing this transition is crucial for understanding the development of complex life both on Earth and potentially elsewhere in the universe.
The search for life on Mars or on icy moons such as Europa and Enceladus may capture more attention, but another major astrobiology mystery is much closer to home. Scientists are still trying to understand when the first eukaryotes appeared on Earth and how those organisms helped set the stage for complex life.
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