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Photosynthesis Dates Back 3.3 Billion Years, Study Reveals

11/28/2025

Summary

Story summary

Researchers from Carnegie Science report that photosynthesis emerged over a billion years earlier than previously thought.
They used machine learning to analyze 406 ancient and modern samples, finding chemical traces dating back 3.3 billion years and signs of photosynthesis in rocks 2.5 billion years old.
The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could accelerate the search for life on Mars by applying similar techniques.

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Story summary

Researchers from Carnegie Science report that photosynthesis emerged over a billion years earlier than previously thought.
They used machine learning to analyze 406 ancient and modern samples, finding chemical traces dating back 3.3 billion years and signs of photosynthesis in rocks 2.5 billion years old.
The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could accelerate the search for life on Mars by applying similar techniques.