Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are part of a research team that has detected water vapor in the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system. The […]
March 2014
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Effect of Planets Beyond the Ice Line on the Accretion of Volatiles by Habitable-Zone Rocky Planets
Models of planet formation have shown that giant planets have a large impact on the number, masses and orbits of terrestrial planets that form. In addition, they play an important […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Mars, Plant Biology
Ancient Cellular Fossils: Indications Of What May Wait on Mars?
When we send probes to other worlds (such as Mars) to look for evidence of past life, we are sending them to look for fossils. Often times a fossil preserves […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Search For Earth-mass Planets In The Habitable Zone Of Alpha Centauri
The “holy grail” in planet hunting is the detection of an Earth-analog: a planet with similar mass as the Earth and an orbit inside the habitable zone. If we can […]
Posted inExtinction events
Ancient Food Webs Show Modern Structure After Mass Extinction
Researchers have pieced together a highly detailed picture of feeding relationships among 700 mammal, bird, reptile, fish, insect, and plant species from a 48 million year old lake and forest […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
New Hypothesis Explains Earth's Continued Habitability
Geologic cycles act as a climate control, releasing and absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide in a balance that helps keep the planet not too hot and not too cold. Researchers from […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Plant Biology
Alien Life Preview: Sea Anemone Genome: Half Animal, Half Plant
Sea anemone shows a genomic landscape surprisingly similar to human genome, but also displays regulatory mechanisms similar to plants. The team led by evolutionary and developmental biologist Ulrich Technau at […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life
Oxygen Requirements of Earth's Earliest Animals
A new study published recently in PNAS explores the relationship between the origin of animals and the oxygen content of the atmosphere. A rise in the oxygen content of the […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Plant Biology, Press Release, Sample Return, Space Agriculture
Moss Brought Back to Life After 1,500 Years Frozen in Ice
Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and Reading University have demonstrated that, after over 1,500 years frozen in Antarctic ice, moss can come back to life and continue to grow.
Posted inAstrobiology (general), NASA Astrobiology Program
Why Is NASA's Astrobiology Program STILL Ignoring "Cosmos"?
NASA’s Astrobiology program continues to totally ignore “Cosmos” – even when it offers millions of viewers a full episode on Astrobiology. Sunday’s episode (the second) of Cosmos was devoted to […]