India discovery: Oldest Earth fossils dated to 3.5 billion years

Researchers from the Geological Survey of India have successfully used direct radiometric dating to confirm the age of the Earth's oldest fossils. The discovery, located within the Bhitardari chert of the Singhbhum Craton in eastern India, contains clear signs of microbial life dating back approximately 3.5 billion years.

The study utilized a combination of organic carbon and zircon crystals found within the same geological layer to eliminate previous uncertainties regarding the exact age of these primordial life forms. Previously, scientists had to rely on indirect dating by analyzing rock layers above or below organic material, but this new method provides unprecedented precision for biological records from Earth's early, hostile environment.