The oldest known signs of life are about 3500-3800 million years old, found in Australia and Greenland. They are the remains of ancient cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria had begun releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.
Stromatolites are carbonate structures reminiscent of cabbage heads, covered by layers cyanobacteria. The stromatolites on display are from Tervola, Keminmaa. They are around 2000-1800 million years old. Stromatolites are still formed in extremely salty, warm, tropical waters of the tidal zone in the Australian Shark Bay.
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