An article published in the journal “Science Advances” reports the discovery of microfossils of the oldest known methanogenic microorganisms, with an estimated age of 3.42 billion years. A team of researchers led by Professor Barbara Cavalazzi of the University of Bologna, Italy, discovered these microfossils in South Africa, in the area known as the Barberton Greenstone Belt. These microorganisms lived in a system of hydrothermal veins and show similarities with today’s archaea. Their study offers insights into early life forms on Earth and the possibilities for life forms to emerge in similar environments elsewhere in the universe.