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Kanaparthi, Dheeraj ; Westall, Frances ; Lampe, Marko ; Zhu, Baoli ; Boesen, Thomas ; Scheu, Bettina ; Klingl, Andreas ; Schwille, Petra ; Lüders, Tillmann:
On the nature of the earliest known lifeforms.
In: eLife.
Bd. 13
(2026)
.
- RP98637.
ISSN 2050-084X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.98637.3
Abstract
Microfossils from the Paleoarchean Eon are the oldest known evidence of life. Despite their significance in understanding the history of life on Earth, any interpretation of the nature of these microfossils has been a point of contention among researchers. Decades of back-and-forth arguments led to the consensus that reconstructing the lifecycles of Archaean Eon organisms is the most promising way of understanding the nature of these microfossils. Here, we transformed a Gram-positive bacterium into a primitive lipid vesicle-like state and studied it under environmental conditions prevalent on early Earth. Using this approach, we successfully reconstructed morphologies and life cycles of Archaean microfossils. In addition to reproducing microfossil morphologies, we conducted experiments that spanned years to understand the process of cell degradation and how Archaean cells could have undergone encrustation of minerals (in this case, salt), leading to their preservation as fossilized organic carbon in the rock record. These degradation products strongly resemble fossiliferous features from Archaean rock formations. Our observations suggest that microfossils aged between 3.8–2.5 Ga most likely were liposome-like protocells that have evolved physiological pathways of energy conservation but not the mechanisms to regulate their morphology. Based on these observations, we propose that morphology is not a reliable indicator of taxonomy in these microfossils.
Weitere Angaben
| Publikationsform: | Artikel in einer Zeitschrift |
|---|---|
| Begutachteter Beitrag: | Ja |
| Institutionen der Universität: | Fakultäten > Fakultät für Biologie, Chemie und Geowissenschaften > Fachgruppe Biologie > Lehrstuhl Ökologische Mikrobiologie > Lehrstuhl Ökologische Mikrobiologie - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Tillmann Lüders |
| Titel an der UBT entstanden: | Ja |
| Themengebiete aus DDC: | 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie |
| Eingestellt am: | 20 Feb 2026 08:25 |
| Letzte Änderung: | 20 Feb 2026 08:25 |
| URI: | https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/96298 |