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Oldest evidence of photosynthesis on Earth discovered by Li猫ge scientists
Image source, Elif Bayraktar
Scientists say they have discovered the oldest evidence of photosynthesis on Earth.
Plants - and a few other things in nature - use photosynthesis to feed. It involves using energy from the sun to turn water and carbon dioxide into food.
The research, carried out by the University of Li猫ge in Belgium, examined fossils from sites that were more than one billion years old.
Not sure what photosynthesis is, or how it works? Check out our handy guide further down the page.
What have scientists discovered about photosynthesis?
Image source, Getty Images
Scientists extracted a special type of bacteria, called cyanobacteria, from some very old fossils.
Cyanobacteria is also known as blue-green algae, which you might have heard about before in the news.
When lakes or rivers become polluted, the water turns a strange green colour, because of cyanobacteria developing there.
Scientists found that cyanobacteria contained tiny sacks, called thylakoids.
Inside these little sacks, photosynthesis can happen.
Image source, Getty Images
What does this mean?
Scientist estimate these fossils are around 1.75 billion years old.
The last thylakoid fossil found by scientists were believed to be around 550 million years old. That is still from a really long, time ago, but nowhere near as old as these newly-discovered ones.
It means the researchers have found probably the oldest known evidence of photosynthesis, which is still used by plants today to keep them alive.