World's Oldest Fossils Found in Ancient Australian Beach - ScienceNOW

World's Oldest Fossils Found in Ancient Australian Beach - ScienceNOW: ....But now Brasier and David Wacey, a geologist at the University of Western Australia in Crawley, say they have discovered 3.4-billion-year-old cells, possibly the oldest fossils ever found. Other microorganisms as old or older have been reported, including an extensive set of photosynthesizing bacteria 20 kilometers away from Brasier and Wacey's find, but Brasier and others have questioned the validity of those fossils. The two scientists say their chemical analyses of the minerals near the cells suggest the microorganisms depended on sulfur for fuel. Such a beach might have been life's first breeding ground, Brasier says.