Scientists: Life On Earth Formed 300 Million Years Earlier Than Previously Believed

LOS ANGELES (CBS Sacramento) - Three hundred million years may seem to you and me like a long time, but compared to the age of the universe, it's a mere blink in time.

But 300 million years is how much earlier life may have started on Earth than previously thought.

Scientists at UCLA have found evidence that life existed on our planet at least 4.1 billion years ago, much closer to the creation of our world than had ever been suspected possible.

"Life on Earth may have started almost instantaneously," said study co-author Mark Harrison. "With the right ingredients, life seems to form very quickly."

Minerals found in ancient rock formations show signs of carbon, an organic molecule that is a chemical fingerprint for life.

If confirmed, the research will change the what we know about the earliest days of our planet.

"The early Earth certainly wasn't a hellish, dry, boiling planet; we see absolutely no evidence for that," Harrison said. "The planet was probably much more like it is today than previously thought."

The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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