News: Researchers found evidence of microbial life ~3.5 billion years ago in the Singhbhum Craton, eastern India.

Singhbhum Craton:

• Ancient, stable block of continental crust located mainly in Jharkhand & Odisha.
• Contains rocks dating back 3.5–4 billion years.
• Important for studying Earth’s Archaean geological history and early life.

Evidence of Life:

• Found in a carbon-bearing black-and-white chert from Bhatirdari.
• Zircons → geological clocks → indicated age of about 3.497 billion years.
• Carbon isotope signatures → consistent with biological processes.
• Evidence combines rock age + carbon chemistry + geological context.

Geological Significance:

• Singhbhum has ancient greenstone successions and submarine volcanic rocks.
• Features include pillow lava and komatiites.
• Comparable to ancient terrains of South Africa and Western Australia.

Significance:

• Provides a window into early Earth and emergence of life.
• Suggests microbial life may have appeared relatively early after Earth became habitable.
• Helps understand ancient volcanism, tectonics and habitable conditions.