It's being reported that fossil evidence has been found for simple organisms, perhaps as old as 4.28 billion years. If this finding can be confirmed, it means that life managed to establish itself on our planet when it was just 320 million years old. That's very early in the history of our planet, compared to its age of 4 .6 billion years.

If life started so readily, and so early on this planet, it seems to bode well for the existence of life elsewhere in space. Any life present would have had to begin among, and cope with, conditions very different from those experienced today. Even the Sun would have been considerably weaker at that time.

It had formerly been believed that life on Earth began about 3.480 billion years ago.

Link, below, to article, with photographs, with further details on this discovery:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39117523

Another article on the supposed ancient fossils. This one is from a scientific publication. The tone is generally accepting of the validity of the find. It also brings out the potential relevance to extraterrestrial life.

https://phys.org/news/2017-03-world-oldest-fossils-unearthed.html

On the magazine of Touring Club Italiano there is an article about Australia which says that Ayers Rock could be what remains of a meteorite which struck Earth. The aboriginal Australians believe it is a sacred rock and don't want tourists to climb it.
Tullio

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