Galaxies in the early Universe that are dying out prematurely might owe their demise to their supermassive black holes.

According to a study led by Kei Ito from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI) in Japan, unlike the Milky Way, which produces a modest number of new stars annually - around three to four Suns' worth of new stars, some galaxies like elliptical ones have experienced a prolonged halt in star formation. These galaxies lack young stars, hinting at a sudden cessation of star formation. 

The mechanism behind this star formation shutdown in such smooth, uneventful galaxies has been puzzling.

However, astronomers have long suspected that the central supermassive black holes within galaxies might hold the key.

To explore this idea, an international team of astronomers focused on ancient galaxies that existed 9.5 billion to 12.5 billion years ago. These galaxies resembled the quiet elliptical galaxies we observe closer to us, where star formation is nearing extinction.