The oldest rubies on the planet—gems composed of a mineral with a red hue—are found in
“The graphite inside this ruby is indeedunique - said Chris Yakimchuk, professor at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada - This is the first time we see signs of ancient life in ruby-bearing rocks.
Photo by the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada
After conducting a study, scientists found that graphiteevolved from an ancient life form. At the time the ancient bacteria probably lived, the planet did not have much oxygen, an essential element for complex life. That is why the only organisms that were able to survive were tiny microbes and algae. It is believed that cyanobacteria were among the first living things on Earth. Over billions of years of converting sunlight into chemical energy, they gradually produced the oxygen necessary for complex life to eventually evolve.
Graphite-containing corundum, although ancient, is unlikelyis the oldest evidence of life on Earth. However, this is the first time its remains have been found inside rubies. The results are published in the November issue of the journal Ore Geology Reviews.
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