Origin of all species

A KEY element in the perfect storm that triggered life on Earth has been uncovered in remote Central Australia, after scientists analysed ancient rocks and the 650-millionyear-old molecules in them.

The pivotal moment for the planet, which allowed animal and then human life to evolve, was unlocked in sediment analysed by the Australian National University.

“We crushed these rocks to powder and extracted molecules of ancient organisms from them,” Associate Professor Jochen Brocks said.