60-Second Space

Bacteria Got an Early Fix on Nitrogen

02.23.2015 - By Scientific AmericanPlay

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

New evidence points to the evolution of the ability for bacteria to grab nitrogen from the atmosphere some 3.2 billion years ago, about 1.2 billion years earlier than thought—with implications for finding extraterrestrial life. Lee Billings reports

More episodes from 60-Second Space