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> Some 296 known minerals are thought to pre-date Earth itself, of which 97 are known only from meteorites, with the age of some individual mineral grains estim
by irrational 4y ago
> Some 296 known minerals are thought to pre-date Earth itself, of which 97 are known only from meteorites, with the age of some individual mineral grains estimated at 7 billion years—which was billions of years before the origin of our Solar System.
> The oldest known minerals are tiny, durable zircon crystals that are almost 4.4 billion years old.
Isn’t the first quote saying the oldest minerals are 7+ billion years old and the second saying the oldest are 4.4 billion years old? Which is it?
- billiam 4y agoI think they are saying the earliest extant minerals that crystalized on Earth are zircons that formed within the first 100 my of the planet's formation. The minerals he is talking about show up here on meteorites from elsewhere in the solar systems and predate the planetary nebulae by billions of years.