Until now, the 1.9 billion year old Grypania fossils, found in Michigan, were widely seen as the first clusters of organised and communicating cells. However, the new fossils , 2.1 billion years old, from Gabon, west Africa, may replace them.The 250 or so irregular blobs, up to 12 centimetres in length, have scalloped edges, suggesting an organised and growing colony of coordinated cells.

It is thought likely they emerged at this time to take advantage of a rise in atmospheric oxygen, which began around 200 million years earlier.

full story at New Scientist