This 'n That Thursdays: The World's Oldest Color

From Branding in Asia

Scientists from The Australian National University have discovered 1.1 billion-year-old bright pink pigments buried deep beneath the Sahara desert, making pink the world's oldest known color in the geological record.  The pigments enabled these researchers to confirm that ancient marine ecosystems were dominated by tiny photosynthetic cyanobacteria which fed on microscopic algae.  When the cyanobacteria began to die off, the algae started to spread rapidly, leading to more complex ecosystems and the emergence of larger and more diverse fauna.  So much information from a bright pink pigment!

Pink still seems to be a prominent color in nature - just take a look:

Flowering pinks (from BHG)

A flock of pink flamingoes (from ThoughtCo.)

Pink dragon fruit (from Tasteful Space)

Rosy maple moth (from Wimp)

Pink sunset (from Pinterest)

Pink quartz mountain range (from Lakpura Travels)

The pretty but poisonous pink crab Liomera rugata (from Guam Reef Life)

Take a moment to celebrate the color pink - after all, if it weren't for this lovely pigment, we humans might not even be here today!