The Origin of Life

Evidences for the Earliest Life on Earth

The earliest evidence for life on Earth is found either as fossils, or as chemical signals representing the former existence of life. The best evidence comes from only a few localities worldwide — from the Barberton Mountain Land of northern South Africa, the Pilbara area of western Australia and the Isua Region of west Greenland.

The time-line given below for the first billion years of Earth history illustrates the principal events described in the text below.