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Geologists have discovered fossilized, single-cell organisms that are 3.4 billion years old and that the scientists say are the oldest known fossils on earth. Their assertion, if sustained, confirms the view that life evolved on earth surprisingly soon after the Late Heavy Bombardment, a reign of destruction in which waves of asteroids slammed into the primitive planet. The bombardment, which ended around 3.85 billion years ago, would have sterilized the earth's surface of any incipient life. The claim is also a new volley in a long-running conflict over who has found the oldest fossil. [Source: New York Times]
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