Researchers in Australia recently discovered the earth’s oldest colour – and it's pink! Chlorophyll was detected while examining fossils found from under the Sahara Desert in Mauritania, West Africa. Plants use this pigment as part of photosynthesis and this particular sample dated back 1.1 billion years. After crushing the fossils to analyze the bacteria molecules, researchers distilled the findings and a vivid pink colour emerged. “What we found is the oldest biological colour,” says Australian National University Associate Professor Jochen Brocks. Scientists believe that ancient sunlight-eating organisms from the bottom of the food chain, added a subtle pink colouring to the oceans of that era.