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Research reveals that a massive meteorite impact 3.26 billion years ago, much larger than the one that killed the dinosaurs, may have spurred early life evolution.
Instead of causing only destruction, this impact acted like a "giant fertilizer bomb," providing essential nutrients like phosphorus and iron to primitive life forms.
Evidence from the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa indicates that life not only recovered quickly post-impact but actually thrived.
Barberton Greenstone Belt
A geologic formation situated on the eastern edge of the Kaapvaal Craton in South Africa.
It is known for its gold mineralisation and for its komatiites, an unusual type of ultramafic volcanic rock named after the Komati River that flows through the belt.
The Makhonjwa Mountains make up 40% of the Baberton belt
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