Apex chert

'These microscopic structures are so intriguing, and their biotic origin is so hotly debated, because at the time they were discovered they were considered to be the very first fossil evidence of oxygen-producing, photosynthetic life.'
Dr Peta Hayes, Curator of Palaeobotany

This piece of chert from Pilbara, Western Australia is around 3,462 million years old. It is still unclear whether it contains the world's oldest fossil evidence of life on Earth, in the form of microbes. The alternative theory is that the structures it contains are just mineral growths that resemble simple organisms.

The Apex chert caused a flurry of excitement in 1993 when it was first described by US scientist Bill Schopf, on sabbatical at the Natural History Museum. Schopf entered the type specimen into the Museum's collection, where it still sits today.

The most recent analysis of the Apex chert supports the theory that the tiny structures are mineralogical, not biological. But the debate continues and the specimen is still in demand for further study. The Apex chert 'fossils' ignited conversations about the age of life on Earth, fundamental to understanding the mechanisms and timescales of evolution.

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