Small pieces of diamond
fake an embryonic Earth may contain the oldest traces of life, according to a
study. The analysis showed that the crystals contain a type of carbon often
associated with plants and bacteria. The rare gems were found inside zircon
crystals, formed a few hundred million years after the Earth formed. In an
article published in the journal Nature the researchers caution that the
results are not definitive proof of early life forms, but "do not
exclude" the possibility.
