The rapid formation of stars billions of years ago compared with the present day appears to have resulted from larger gas reservoirs rather than from a more efficient formation process (scientificamerican.com)
It explains how the atoms that made up that dust and gas were synthesised inside stars billions of years before that, and how thestars exploded and blew the atoms out into space. (faith.org.uk)
Astronomers believe that the chemical elements in the Earth and even in our own bodies, such as carbon, oxygen, and iron, were made in other exploding stars billions of years ago. (maa.clell.de)