Latest news with #TonyPrave
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Unassuming discovery in ancient rock rewrites understanding of life on Earth
Australian researchers have connected a meteorite strike with the emergence of microorganisms on land. Formed by ancient microbial communities, these rippled layers in rocks show evidence of some of the earliest life on land. Source: Tony Prave Buried below the earth in ancient rock, scientists based in Australia have discovered evidence of an event that disrupted the trajectory of life on Earth. The Curtin University-led team believe there could be a connection between a meteorite strike in Scotland 990 million years ago and the emergence of microorganisms on land. Lead author Professor Chris Kirkland told Yahoo News there have been several theories about the conditions needed to create life. But what's agreed upon is that it needs a form of energy. 'One way of giving energy to start these kinds of chemical reactions could actually be with a meteorite impact,' he said. Today, the Stac Fada Member meteorite site in the Scottish Highlands is a quiet place, surrounded by grassy rolling hills and bogs. Kirkland and his team are investigating whether the meteorite created ideal conditions for life on this landscape to emerge. ADVERTISEMENT '[Our research] probably links two processes together — the development of life on land with the impact. And that's a big, big thing,' he said. Related: New discovery hints at life on Mars: 'Right conditions' Towering blocks of sandstone show where the meteor struck 900 million years ago. Source: Tony Prave The new research has been published in the journal Geology. It upends a previous estimate that the strike occurred 1.2 billion years ago. The dating was completed through the analysis of zircon crystals, which are usually difficult to date. But the team created a new modelling system that's able to register the meteorite's heat and pressure disturbance in their texture. 'Zircon have shock textures, so we know they formed during the impact. And that now gives us a mechanism of precisely getting the edge of the impact,' Kirkland said. ADVERTISEMENT Prior to the impact, there is fossilised evidence of tiny single-celled eukaryotes, the ancestors of modern day fungi, animals and plants. They've left tiny wavy, crinkly marks in rock, indicating they were thriving in water, but not on land. Scientists hunting for exact impact point It's only after the meteorite struck, that the geologists have uncovered evidence of eukaryotes appearing on land around the crater site. Speaking upon the release of the study, Kirkland said understanding when meteorites strike will help scientists explore how they influenced the expansion of life beyond oceans. 'This raises fascinating questions about whether large impacts may have influenced environmental conditions in ways that affected early ecosystems,' he said. ADVERTISEMENT 'While the impact crater itself has yet to be found, this study has collected further clues that could finally reveal its location.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
UK's Geological Past Shaken by Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Find
In a recent groundbreaking discovery, scientists have identified evidence of a meteorite impact in north-west Scotland that dates back 1 billion years. The space rock is considered the oldest known meteorite strike in the United Kingdom and one of the oldest recorded on Earth. These new findings have prompted many researchers to revise parts of the geological history of the British Isles. The evidence was uncovered by geologists studying rocks from the Stac Fada Member of the Stoer Group, located in the remote parts of the Highlands. Evidence was found by studying rocks in the Highlands (Tony Prave) These rocks were long suspected to be linked to an ancient impact, but until now, solid confirmation had been missing. Unmistakable signs of a catastrophic impact Professor Kirkland, the lead author from Curtin's Frontier Institute for Geoscience Solutions within the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said 'When a meteorite hits, it partially resets the atomic clocks inside the zircon crystals and these 'broken timepieces' are often unable to be dated but we developed a model to reconstruct when the disturbance occurred, confirming the impact at 990 million years ago.' Professor Chris Kirkland dated the impact to 990 million years ago (Curtin University) Before the discovery, it was previously believed that the impact occurred 1.2 billion years ago. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But the new research used tiny zircon crystals as geological time capsules to get a better understanding of when the impact occurred, which they have now placed at 990 million years ago. Scotland's geological timeline revised The impact crater itself has not yet been found, however, many scientists believe it may lie under the Minch, the strait that separates mainland Scotland from the Outer Hebrides. Estimates suggest the crater could be between 15 and 20 kilometres in diameter. Given the age of the rocks and the tectonic changes that have occurred since the impact, locating the original site might prove to be challenging. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Despite the missing crater, the fallout from the strike was preserved in the Stac Fada deposits. Dr Kirkland stated 'While the impact crater itself has yet to be found, this study has collected further clues that could finally reveal its location. "Understanding when meteorite impacts occurred helps us explore their potential influence on Earth's environment and the expansion of life beyond the oceans,' he went on to say. 'The revised dating suggests these life forms in Scotland appeared at a similar time to a meteorite impact. "This raises fascinating questions about whether large impacts may have influenced environmental conditions in ways that affected early ecosystems." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The 1 billion-year-old meteorite strike significantly predates the more famous Chicxulub impact that killed the dinosaurs, which itself was around 600 million years ago. While not as globally catastrophic, the Scottish event is significant in helping scientists understand how Earth evolved in its early years, making it a vital piece of research to help us fully understand our planet's history.
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Billion year old meteorite 'influenced early life'
Scientists say a massive meteorite struck north-west Scotland 200 million years later than previously thought - and may have influenced early life on Earth. The meteorite, which created a layer of rock in parts of the Highlands called the Stac Fada Member, was believed to have occurred 1.2bn years ago. But new research led by the University of St Andrews and Australia's Curtin University suggests it actually happened 990 million years ago. The study also suggests the impact came at a similar time to the emergence of early lifeforms called freshwater eukaryotes - ancient ancestors of plants, animals and fungi. The scientists used tiny zircon crystals in rocks as geological "time capsules" to date the meteorite impact. The research has been published in the journal Geology. Prof Chris Kirkland, of Curtin University, said: "The revised dating suggests these life forms in Scotland appeared at a similar time to a meteorite impact. "This raises fascinating questions about whether large impacts may have influenced environmental conditions in ways that affected early ecosystems." He added: "While the impact crater itself has yet to be found, this study has collected further clues that could finally reveal its location." Prof Tony Prave, from the University of St Andrews, said the impact occurred on a landscape sculpted by rivers, lakes and estuaries with thriving microbial ecosystems. He said: "Impacts typically blow away the land surface and create deep craters. "What makes Stac Fada unique is that it preserves not only the record of the impact event but also of the actual land surface across which those ancient ecosystems existed prior to the impact and, importantly, how they recovered from such a natural disaster." NASA Johnson Space Centre and the University of Portsmouth also collaborated on the research.
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Billion year old meteorite 'influenced early life forms'
Scientists say a massive meteorite struck north-west Scotland 200 million years later than previously thought - and may have influenced early life on meteorite, which created a layer of rock in parts of the Highlands called the Stac Fada Member, was believed to have occurred 1.2bn years new research led by the University of St Andrews and Australia's Curtin University suggests it actually happened 990 million years study also suggests the impact came at a similar time to the emergence of early lifeforms called freshwater eukaryotes - ancient ancestors of plants, animals and fungi. The scientists used tiny zircon crystals in rocks as geological "time capsules" to date the meteorite research has been published in the journal Geology. Prof Chris Kirkland, of Curtin University, said: "The revised dating suggests these life forms in Scotland appeared at a similar time to a meteorite impact."This raises fascinating questions about whether large impacts may have influenced environmental conditions in ways that affected early ecosystems."He added: "While the impact crater itself has yet to be found, this study has collected further clues that could finally reveal its location." Prof Tony Prave, from the University of St Andrews, said the impact occurred on a landscape sculpted by rivers, lakes and estuaries with thriving microbial said: "Impacts typically blow away the land surface and create deep craters. "What makes Stac Fada unique is that it preserves not only the record of the impact event but also of the actual land surface across which those ancient ecosystems existed prior to the impact and, importantly, how they recovered from such a natural disaster."NASA Johnson Space Centre and the University of Portsmouth also collaborated on the research.
The Herald Scotland
29-04-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Billion-year-old impact sparks questions about life on land
Researchers used tiny zircon crystals as geological 'time capsules' to date the impact to 990 million years ago. In a paper published on Tuesday in Geology, researchers show that the impact event occurred at a similar time to the emergence of some of the earliest known freshwater eukaryotes - the ancient ancestors of plants, animals and fungi. The revised dating suggests these life forms in Scotland were living at a similar time to a meteorite impact. READ MORE: Study finds local Covid restrictions in Scotland did not trigger change in behaviour Origin and evolution of Darwin's work honoured by UNESCO Is the importance of language learning being lost in translation? This raises questions about impacts and how they may have influenced environmental conditions in ways that affected early ecosystems. Co Author Professor Tony Prave, from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, said: 'The Stac Fada impact occurred on a landscape sculpted by rivers, lakes and estuaries containing thriving microbial ecosystems. Impacts typically blow away the land surface and create deep craters. "What makes Stac Fada unique is that it preserves not only the record of the impact event but also of the actual land surface across which those ancient ecosystems existed prior to the impact and, importantly, how they recovered from such a natural disaster.' The research was in collaboration between the University of St Andrews, Curtin University in Western Australia, NASA Johnson Space Centre and the University of Portsmouth. Dr Chris Kirkland, from the Frontier Institute for Geoscience Solutions, Curtin University, said: 'These microscopic crystals recorded the exact moment of impact, with some even transforming into an incredibly rare mineral called reidite, which only forms under extreme pressures. "This provided undeniable proof that a meteorite strike caused the Stac Fada deposit…confirming the impact at 990 million years ago.' Dr Kirkland added: 'While the impact crater itself has yet to be found, this study has collected further clues that could finally reveal its location. "Understanding when meteorite impacts occurred helps us explore their potential influence on Earth's environment and the expansion of life beyond the oceans.'
