Unveiling an Ancient World through Fossilized Molecules
A recent study published in Nature has revealed a "lost world" of ancient eukaryotes that lived 800 million to at least 1.6 billion years ago. The study challenges the previous understanding of early eukaryotic history by suggesting that scientists may have been searching for the wrong fossilized molecules. The researchers discovered abundant molecular fossils of primitive sterols, known as protosterols, which were produced by these ancient eukaryotes. The findings fill an 800-million-year gap in the fossil record and provide new insights into the dynamics and evolution of early eukaryotic life.