Close Menu
  • Last News
    • Cities
    • Climate
    • Energy
    • Impact
    • Markets
    • Opinions
    • Policy
    • Reports
    • Research
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Trending
Illustration of white-faced capuchin monkeys abducting an infant howler monkey on Jicarón Island. Image generated by AI.
This Alarming Discovery Shows Panama Monkeys Are Kidnapping Babies From Rivals, Defying Everything Science Thought It Knew
Illustration of underwater sonar technology detecting unexploded World War II-era ordnance. Image generated by AI.
“Ticking Bombs Below”: New Sonar Tech Deployed to Hunt Buried WWII Explosives Lurking in U.S. Coastal Waters for Decades
Illustration of the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel beneath Kasukabe. Image generated by AI.
“268 Olympic Pools Below Ground”: World’s Largest Hidden Reservoir Discovered in Shocking Subterranean Water Breakthrough
Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn RSS
Sustainability Times
Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn RSS
Subscribe
  • Featured
  • Cities
    Illustration of Archer Aviation's Midnight eVTOL air taxi flying over Los Angeles during the 2028 Olympics. Image generated by AI.

    Flying Over LA Gridlock: These American Air Taxis Promise a Spectacular Debut During the 2028 Olympic Games

    May 20, 2025 at 4:07 PM
    Illustration of the sinking urban landscape affecting major U.S. cities due to groundwater depletion (AI-generated, unrealistic). Credit: Ideogram.

    “America’s Cities Are Sinking Fast”: 28 Urban Giants Like New York and Houston Are Quietly Crumbling Beneath Our Feet

    May 13, 2025 at 7:00 AM

    Chinese Product Designer Yihan Luo Showcased “Pikapoo” at Milan Design Week 2025

    May 7, 2025 at 5:23 PM

    Winter Storms to Bring More Snow and Ice Across the U.S.

    February 8, 2025 at 10:50 AM

    A survey of a single backyard in Australia reveals over a thousand species

    December 10, 2023 at 10:55 PM
  • Climate
    Illustration of the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel beneath Kasukabe. Image generated by AI.

    “268 Olympic Pools Below Ground”: World’s Largest Hidden Reservoir Discovered in Shocking Subterranean Water Breakthrough

    May 22, 2025 at 4:08 PM
    Illustration of extreme heat conditions affecting regions like Death Valley, Jacobabad, and Basra. Image generated by AI.

    “Earth Is Boiling Over”: These 9 Scorching Hot Spots Are Blistering Proof Our Planet Is Heating Up Faster Than Ever Before

    May 17, 2025 at 6:54 AM
    Illustration of wildfire smoke impacting air quality and health. Image generated by AI.

    Wildfire Smoke Disaster: This Groundbreaking Study Links U.S. Blazes to 15,000 Deaths and an Economic Hit of $160 Billion

    May 15, 2025 at 9:48 AM
    Illustration of the challenges and complexities of plastic recycling (AI-generated, unrealistic). Credit: Ideogram.

    “Recycling Is a Lie”: New Reports Expose That Most Plastic Can’t Be Reused—and Even Recyclers Are Now Under Fire

    May 12, 2025 at 4:05 PM
    Illustration of billions of periodical cicadas emerging across the United States landscape (AI-generated, unrealistic). Credit: Ideogram.

    “Billions Are Coming”: US Prepares for Biblical Cicada Swarm Not Seen in 17 Years as Ground Begins to Tremble

    May 11, 2025 at 4:54 PM
  • Energy
    Illustration of the Horizon Aircraft Cavorite X7 achieving full wing transition. Image generated by AI.

    “Canada’s Flying Marvel Transforms”: First eVTOL Achieves Full Wing Transition in Stunning Aviation Milestone

    May 21, 2025 at 10:04 AM
    Illustration of a triboelectric nanogenerator using adhesive tape to convert mechanical energy into electricity. Image generated by AI.

    Human Motion Becomes Power Source as US Researchers Unlock Groundbreaking Tech to Harvest Electricity from Every Movement

    May 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM
    Illustration of the National Ignition Facility's inertial confinement fusion experiment. Image generated by AI.

    “Scientists Break the Fusion Barrier”: This Record-Busting US Laser Experiment Achieved More Energy Out Than In

    May 21, 2025 at 5:48 AM
    Illustration of Thorizon's molten salt reactor technology converting nuclear waste into clean energy. Image generated by AI.

    “Nuclear Waste Becomes Power Goldmine”: European Firm to Generate 100 MW for 40 Years Using Radioactive Leftovers

    May 20, 2025 at 10:10 AM
    Illustration of underwater concrete spheres used for solar energy storage. Image generated by AI.

    Giant Underwater Concrete Spheres Are Quietly Revolutionizing Solar Energy Storage in the Most Unexpected Ocean Depths

    May 20, 2025 at 9:12 AM
  • Impact
    Illustration of the Jiu Tian drone carrier capable of deploying 100 drones over 4,500 miles. Image generated by AI.

    This Gigantic Chinese Mothership Can Launch 100 Drones Over 4,500 Miles and Redefines the Future of High-Tech Air Combat

    May 22, 2025 at 8:49 AM
    Illustration of Superwood, a revolutionary material developed by InventWood to be stronger and more durable than natural wood. Image generated by AI.

    Wood Breakthrough Stuns Engineers as New Molecular Process Makes It Tougher Than Steel and Lighter Than Aluminum

    May 21, 2025 at 6:05 PM
    Illustration of robotic centipedes navigating agricultural terrain. Image generated by AI.

    These Creeping Vineyard Robots Use Insect-Like Legs to Annihilate Weeds With Ruthless Precision and Rock-Bottom Costs

    May 20, 2025 at 8:01 AM
    Illustration of the SG-1 Fathom autonomous underwater glider patrolling the ocean. Image generated by AI.

    German Firm Unleashes Underwater Spy Drone Swarm Capable of Operating Stealthily for 3 Months in a Game-Changing Maritime Shift

    May 19, 2025 at 4:46 PM
    Illustration of China's People’s Liberation Army Navy warship undergoing degaussing with AI integration. Image generated by AI.

    US Military Shocked as China Uses AI to Slash Warship Magnetic Signature by 60%, Rewriting Global Naval Power Dynamics

    May 19, 2025 at 9:56 AM
  • Markets

    Most sources of protein in the US contain vast quantities of microplastics

    January 11, 2024 at 5:47 AM

    Banking on change: How your accounts have climate impact

    December 26, 2023 at 7:13 PM

    Sparxell’s glitter is golden with nature-based color, design

    December 19, 2023 at 9:29 PM

    Lab-grown coffee tastes pretty darn good, scientists say

    December 12, 2023 at 10:42 PM

    Vegan diets can work wonders in preventing cardiovascular disease

    November 30, 2023 at 10:14 PM
  • Opinions

    Smoke, Mirrors, and Smears: Inside the Campaign Against Gaurav Srivastava (Review)

    May 14, 2025 at 10:45 AM

    Nathan Law and the High Cost of Dissent: A Review of Targeted, Episode 3

    May 13, 2025 at 9:46 AM

    From charts to conversations: a real review of Hint App, The Pattern, and TimePassages

    May 13, 2025 at 5:12 AM

    Where Time Touches Light: Yefan Liu and the Future of Cultural Design

    April 18, 2025 at 3:39 AM
    “Ancient Predator Resurfaces: The Terrifying Epicyon, Massive Canid Beast With Bone-Crushing Jaws, Shakes Experts to Their Core”

    “He’s Back From Extinction”: The Gigantic Epicyon Returns With Bone-Crushing Jaws That Terrified Prehistoric America

    April 16, 2025 at 7:53 AM
  • Policy
    Illustration of an RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launch "training." Image generated by AI.

    “6,800 Miles of Fury”: Russia Plans Nuclear-Capable Missile Launch Training in a Bold Escalation of Global Military Tensions

    May 22, 2025 at 6:48 AM
    Illustration of China's strategic economic maneuvers and diplomatic outreach. Image generated by AI.

    Trump Outraged as China Launches Worldwide Economic Push, Stretching Its Influence Across the Globe in Defiance of U.S. Pressure

    May 22, 2025 at 6:01 AM
    Illustration of China's Chutian satellite constellation in very low Earth orbit. Image generated by AI.

    “US Issues Dire Warning”: China’s Bullet-Like Satellites Are Actively Spying From Low Orbit, Triggering Alarms in Washington

    May 19, 2025 at 5:45 PM
    Illustration of China's advanced missile technology and the U.S. response with the Golden Dome defense initiative. Image generated by AI.

    “Space Nukes Are Here”: China’s Orbital Weapons Trigger Alarms and Revive Trump’s Massive Golden Dome Defense Ambitions

    May 18, 2025 at 10:09 AM
    Illustration of France's future robotic army advancements (AI-generated, unrealistic). Credit: Ideogram.

    “France Overtakes U.S. War Tech”: Battle Robots to Hit the Front Lines by 2027 as America Lags Behind in Military AI Race

    May 14, 2025 at 8:07 AM
  • Reports
    Illustration of the SABRE South Collaboration’s experimental setup for detecting dark matter in the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    “Scientists Stunned by Mysterious Light”: Bold Experiment Uses 4-Inch Glowing Crystal Core to Unveil Secrets of Elusive Dark Matter

    May 5, 2025 at 6:05 AM
    Illustration of a precision laser being fired from Earth to a satellite orbiting the Moon during daylight (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    China Hits the Moon With a Laser: First Daylight Lunar Reflection in History Stuns Scientists and Ignites Global Space Race

    May 4, 2025 at 5:09 PM
    Illustration of the SR-72 hypersonic jet soaring through the sky (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    “China Stunned by US Jet”: SR-72 Hypersonic Aircraft to Fly at Over Mach 5 in 2025, Triggering Shock and Panic in Beijing

    May 4, 2025 at 6:03 AM
    Illustration of China's expansive underground military command center near Beijing (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    China Unveils Its Military Mega-Project: Satellite Images Reveal Construction of the Largest Military Hub on Earth Spanning Over 1,000 Acres

    May 3, 2025 at 6:54 AM
    Illustration of China's new amphibious anti-tank missile system on the ZTD-05 vehicle (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    “China Unleashes Amphibious Beast”: This Armored Truck-Turned-Tank Can Now Hunt Enemy Targets Across Rivers and Swamps

    May 2, 2025 at 5:52 AM
  • Research
    Illustration of white-faced capuchin monkeys abducting an infant howler monkey on Jicarón Island. Image generated by AI.

    This Alarming Discovery Shows Panama Monkeys Are Kidnapping Babies From Rivals, Defying Everything Science Thought It Knew

    May 22, 2025 at 5:47 PM
    Illustration of underwater sonar technology detecting unexploded World War II-era ordnance. Image generated by AI.

    “Ticking Bombs Below”: New Sonar Tech Deployed to Hunt Buried WWII Explosives Lurking in U.S. Coastal Waters for Decades

    May 22, 2025 at 4:59 PM
    Illustration of a massive discovery of dinosaur bones in Alberta, Canada. Image generated by AI.

    “8,000 Dinosaur Bones Found”: Canada’s Fossil Graveyard Reveals One of the Most Terrifying Prehistoric Mass Death Sites Ever Unearthed

    May 22, 2025 at 10:12 AM
    Illustration of a massive copper, gold, and silver deposit discovered in the Andes Mountains. Image generated by AI.

    “13 Million Tons Unearthed”: South America Stuns the World With Colossal Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery Beneath Its Soil

    May 22, 2025 at 8:06 AM
    Illustration of the Gamburtsev Mountains hidden beneath Antarctica's ice sheets. Image generated by AI.

    “Invisible Mountains Uncovered”: Scientists Finally Reveal the 500-Million-Year-Old Secret Hidden Beneath Antarctic Ice

    May 21, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Sustainability Times

“All Life Comes From One Ancestor”: Scientists Uncover Shocking Origins of Life, Older and Stranger Than Ever Imagined

A groundbreaking study has revealed that the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) of all life on Earth is far older than previously believed, reshaping our understanding of evolutionary history.

Hina DinooHina DinooApril 16, 2025 at 9:14 AM7
Share Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Telegram WhatsApp Email Copy Link
Follow Us
Google News
“Earth's Oldest Ancestor Revealed: Shocking Discovery Shows Life Originated from a Single Source Far Older than Imagined”
A groundbreaking study reveals that LUCA, the Last Universal Common Ancestor, is much older than previously thought, reshaping our understanding of life's origins.
Share
Twitter Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Copy Link
IN A NUTSHELL
  • 🧬 LUCA is the common ancestor of all organisms on Earth, predating previous estimates by 400 million years.
  • 🔬 Scientists used phylogenetic analysis to trace genetic mutations and determine LUCA’s age at around 4.2 billion years ago.
  • 🌊 LUCA likely lived in an aquatic environment with extreme conditions, contributing to early ecosystems through natural recycling.
  • 📚 The study highlights the importance of genetics in understanding the origins and diversification of life on Earth.

The origin of life on Earth is a captivating mystery that has intrigued scientists for generations. While Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old, life emerged just a few hundred million years later. But where did it come from? A groundbreaking study by an international team of scientists offers surprising insights. Their research suggests that the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA), the final step in the evolution of life on our planet, could be far older than previously thought. This revelation could redefine our understanding of life’s beginnings and the intricate web of evolution that connects all living organisms.

LUCA: The Parent of All Living Beings

Understanding LUCA, the common ancestor of all life forms, is crucial to grasping the significance of this discovery. LUCA is the progenitor of every living organism on Earth, from microscopic bacteria to blue whales, plants, and humans. It was a prokaryotic organism, a simple cell without a nucleus, existing around 4 billion years ago. Despite its simplicity, it was capable of reproduction, feeding, and interacting with its environment, laying the groundwork for all life as we know it.

Until now, scientists believed LUCA emerged around 3.8 billion years ago, shortly after Earth’s formation. However, under the guidance of paleo-geneticist Edmund Moody from the University of Bristol, researchers have pushed this timeline back by approximately 400 million years. This suggests that LUCA existed about 4.2 billion years ago, opening a new chapter in the story of life’s origins.

Water appeared just 100 million years post-Big Bang—A mind-bending rewrite of cosmic history

How Was LUCA’s Age Determined?

To determine LUCA’s age, scientists employed a sophisticated method known as phylogenetic analysis, which examines the evolution of genes across various species. As species evolve, they undergo genetic mutations—changes in DNA sequences—that are passed down through generations. These mutations typically occur at a slow pace but accumulate over time.

Researchers used these mutations as a “molecular clock.” By comparing the genes of current species, such as humans, bacteria, and plants, they traced back the evolution of these species to pinpoint when they diverged from a common ancestor. This involved measuring the genetic differences that accumulated over time. The greater the differences, the older the common ancestor.

Declining Food Enjoyment in the U.S. and Its Impact on Health

With these divergences identified, scientists used a mathematical model to estimate when these mutations began appearing. This enabled them to calculate the period during which LUCA, the shared ancestor of all life, lived—about 4.2 billion years ago, much earlier than prior estimates.

What Did LUCA Look Like?

Scientists have endeavored to understand what this primitive organism looked like and the environment it inhabited. Although no LUCA fossils exist, researchers have formed hypotheses based on the common traits of current living beings. Despite being a simple prokaryote, LUCA possessed surprisingly complex traits for its time.

“Nature’s hidden empire”: This massive, fungus-like organism could redefine the entire tree of life

It is now hypothesized that LUCA had a rudimentary immune system, capable of defending against external threats like viruses. It is fascinating to consider that such a simple organism could interact with its environment in a sophisticated manner, long before multicellular organisms emerged.

LUCA likely thrived in an aquatic environment, rich in metals and chemicals, under extreme temperature and pressure conditions. The study also suggests that LUCA was part of an early ecosystem where its waste products nourished other microbes, creating a natural recycling cycle. These early microorganisms were essential to Earth’s life balance, long before more complex life forms appeared.

A Gateway to Our History

By pushing LUCA’s emergence back to 4.2 billion years ago, this study enhances our understanding of life’s origins on Earth. LUCA was not just a simple cell, but the ancestor of a thriving biodiversity that has evolved over billions of years. This discovery highlights the importance of genetics and evolutionary studies in comprehending where we come from and the conditions in which life emerged and diversified.

Many questions remain. One pressing question is how LUCA first appeared. Theories about life’s origins, such as the primordial soup hypothesis or hydrothermal vent hypothesis, exist, but no definitive answers have been found. Yet, it is certain that LUCA played a central role in terrestrial evolution. Every life form, from the simplest bacteria to modern humans, descends from this ancestor.

As we continue to unravel the mysteries of LUCA and life’s beginnings, what new revelations await us in the vast history of our planet’s evolution?

Did you like it? 4.4/5 (30)

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Biodiversity Evolutionary History Geological Discovery
Follow on Google News Follow on X (Twitter)
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram WhatsApp Email Copy Link
Previous Article“He’s Back From Extinction”: The Gigantic Epicyon Returns With Bone-Crushing Jaws That Terrified Prehistoric America
Next Article “I’m Almost Certain There Are Inhabited Planets”: Shocking Space Insider Confession Sparks Frenzy Over Alien Life Possibilities
Hina Dinoo
  • X (Twitter)

Hina Dinoo is a Toronto-based journalist at Sustainability Times, covering the intersection of science, economics, and environmental change. With a degree from Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Journalism, she translates complexity into clarity. Her work focuses on how systems — ecological, financial, and social — shape our sustainable future. Contact: [email protected]

Keep Reading
Illustration of a massive discovery of dinosaur bones in Alberta, Canada. Image generated by AI.

“8,000 Dinosaur Bones Found”: Canada’s Fossil Graveyard Reveals One of the Most Terrifying Prehistoric Mass Death Sites Ever Unearthed

Illustration of a massive copper, gold, and silver deposit discovered in the Andes Mountains. Image generated by AI.

“13 Million Tons Unearthed”: South America Stuns the World With Colossal Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery Beneath Its Soil

Illustration of the Gamburtsev Mountains hidden beneath Antarctica's ice sheets. Image generated by AI.

“Invisible Mountains Uncovered”: Scientists Finally Reveal the 500-Million-Year-Old Secret Hidden Beneath Antarctic Ice

View 7 Comments
7 Comments
  1. Adrian5 on April 16, 2025 9:15 AM

    Wow, 4.2 billion years ago? That’s mind-blowing! 🌍✨

    Reply
  2. bridget_sword2 on April 16, 2025 10:07 AM

    Does this mean we are all basically ancient bacteria? 🤔

    Reply
  3. adrian on April 16, 2025 11:00 AM

    Thank you for this fascinating read. The complexity of life never ceases to amaze me!

    Reply
  4. margotarcade on April 16, 2025 11:50 AM

    I find it hard to believe that all life comes from a single ancestor. Can someone explain how this is possible?

    Reply
  5. ocean on April 16, 2025 12:43 PM

    So, LUCA was like the ultimate survivor, huh? 💪

    Reply
  6. Frederick on April 16, 2025 1:34 PM

    Is this research peer-reviewed? Would love to read more about the methodology.

    Reply
  7. Dan D. on May 6, 2025 7:58 PM

    Really? Still claiming the “Big Bang” theory created all life? This myth has been refuted by most scientists as a fallacy! There had to be a “Supreme Being” who brought life into existence. I call that Supreme Being the Lord God Jehovah. You call the “supreme being bacteria. Where did the bacteria come from?

    Reply
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Trending
Illustration of white-faced capuchin monkeys abducting an infant howler monkey on Jicarón Island. Image generated by AI.
This Alarming Discovery Shows Panama Monkeys Are Kidnapping Babies From Rivals, Defying Everything Science Thought It Knew
Illustration of underwater sonar technology detecting unexploded World War II-era ordnance. Image generated by AI.
“Ticking Bombs Below”: New Sonar Tech Deployed to Hunt Buried WWII Explosives Lurking in U.S. Coastal Waters for Decades
Illustration of the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel beneath Kasukabe. Image generated by AI.
“268 Olympic Pools Below Ground”: World’s Largest Hidden Reservoir Discovered in Shocking Subterranean Water Breakthrough
News by category
  • Featured
  • Cities
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Impact
  • Markets
  • Opinions
  • Policy
  • Reports
  • Research
Information
  • About Us
  • Meet the Team
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Legal Mentions
  • Privacy Policy

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn RSS
© Sustainability-Times.com. All rights reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.