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The Conversation
The Conversation
Ben Woodcroft, Associate Professor of Microbial Informatics, Queensland University of Technology

1 trillion species, 3 billion years: how we used AI to trace the evolution of bacteria on Earth

Association of two Cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria sp. and Chroococcus sp.). Ekky Ilham/Shutterstock

There are roughly a trillion species of microorganisms on Earth – the vast majority of which are bacteria.

Bacteria consist of a single cell. They do not have bones and are not like big animals that leave clear signs in the geological record, which thankful palaeontologists can study many millions of years later.

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