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Nature 440, 426-427 (23 March 2006) | doi:10.1038/440426a; Published online 22 March 2006

Biochemistry: Gas with an ancient history

Don E. Canfield1

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Researchers persist in tackling our ignorance of what life was like way back in Earth's history. Evidence of methane production in ancient microbial ecosystems now emerges from 3.5-billion-year-old rocks.

Piecing together the early history of life from the geological record is like putting together an incomplete jigsaw puzzle. A few of the pieces connect, but many of them don't, and most are missing.

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