An international team of scientists has announced the discovery of a living microorganism residing within 2-billion-year-old rock formations in South africa,a finding that pushes the boundaries of known microbial survivability. The microbe, identified through analysis published in *Microbial Ecology*, represents the oldest confirmed living sample ever found, exceeding previous records by over a billion years. This discovery is poised to reshape our understanding of the limits of life on Earth and could offer valuable insight into the potential for life on other planets, particularly as researchers await samples collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars [[2]].
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Scientists have made a surprising discovery within ancient rock formations: a living microorganism estimated to be over 2 billion years old.
The finding has the potential to reshape our understanding of the evolution of life on Earth.
Futurism reports, citing an article in the journal Microbial Ecology, that researchers identified the microbe thriving inside the ancient rock. In a press release, the research team confirmed this is the oldest known sample containing living organisms.
“We didn’t know if rocks 2 billion years old could be inhabited,” said Yohey Suzuki, a researcher from the Graduate School of Science at the University of Tokyo, according to a statement released on Saturday, November 22, 2025. “Until now, the oldest geological layer from which living microorganisms have been found was 100 million years old and buried beneath the seafloor. This is a remarkable discovery.”
Current widely accepted theory suggests life first emerged on Earth around 3.5 billion years ago, with humans appearing only hundreds of thousands of years ago. This discovery opens new avenues for studying ecosystems and biological evolution from billions of years in the past. Understanding the origins of life is a fundamental question in science with implications for our understanding of the planet and our place within it.
According to the research report, the microbe is considered a “native” organism within the ancient rock, evolving at an extremely slow pace. This suggests further study of the microbe could yield new insights into genetics and the earliest forms of life.
“By researching the DNA and genomics of microbes like this, we can gain an understanding of evolution in the earliest eras of Earth,” Suzuki explained.
The ancient rock samples were obtained from South Africa using ultra-deep drilling methods.
An international coalition of researchers believes studying microbes in ancient rocks will also inform the search for life beyond Earth.
NASA, for example, currently has the Perseverance rover on Mars, tasked with collecting physical samples for return to Earth. Researchers studying the ancient rocks on Earth anticipate the Martian samples will be of a similar age to the rocks drilled in South Africa.
“Finding microbial life on Earth from 2 billion years ago and being able to confirm its authenticity makes me excited to see what we might discover from samples on Mars,” Suzuki said.
(luc/luc)
