Astrogeology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Fossils & Paleontology, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Press Release

Life Forms Can Planet Hop On Asteroid Debris – And Survive

by Keith CowingMarch 5, 2026July 23, 2026

Tiny life forms tucked into debris from an asteroid hit could catapult to other planets – including Earth – and survive, a new Johns Hopkins University study finds.

Hadean Earth - Grok via Astrobiology.com

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Ancient Rocks Reveal Evidence Of The First Continents And Crust Recycling Processes On Earth

by Keith CowingMarch 3, 2026March 3, 2026

New research led by scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has uncovered chemical signatures in zircons, the planet’s oldest minerals, that are consistent with subduction and extensive continental crust during […]

Morphological comparison of the Apex Chert and the Strelley Pool Formation microfossils with EM-P. Images (A-D) are TEM images of EM-P cells forming intracellular vesicles (ICVs) and intracellular daughter cells. The numbered arrows in these images point to different stages of ICV formation (see Figure 1—figure supplement 1 and 2). Images (E, F, K & L) show TEM, SEM, and STED microscope images of EM-P cells with ICVs and surface depressions (black arrows). Cells in image F were stained with universal membrane stain, FM5-95 (red), and DNA stain, PicoGreen (green). Images (G-J & M) are spherical microfossils reported from the Apex Chert and the Strelley Pool Formation, respectively (originally published by Schopf and Packer, 1987; Delarue et al., 2020 ; Schopf and Packer, 1987; Delarue et al., 2020). Cyan arrows in images (E-H) point to cytoplasm sandwiched between large hollow vesicles. The arrow in the image I points to the dual membrane enclosing the microfossil. Morphologically similar images of EM-P cells are shown in Figure 1—figure supplement 3. Black arrows in images (K-M) point to surface depressions in both EM-P and the Strelley Pool Formation microfossils, possibly formed by the rupture of ICVs as shown in (D & E) (arrows) (also see Figure 1—figure supplements 4–6). Scale bars: (A-D) (0.5 µm) (E, K, & L) (2 µm), and 5 µm (F). -- eLife

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Status Report

On The Nature Of The Earliest Known Lifeforms

by Keith CowingFebruary 25, 2026February 25, 2026

Microfossils from the Paleoarchean Eon are the oldest known evidence of life. Despite their significance in understanding the history of life on Earth, any interpretation of the nature of these […]

Source: Vladislav Egorov (3D model), Jaagup Metsalu (render) - Estonian Museum of Natural History - Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0 File:Estonian Museum of Natural History - trilobite - Hydrocephalus.png

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Sample Return

Biosignatures: Detection Of A Biopolymer In 500 Million Year Old Trilobite Fossils

by Keith CowingFebruary 23, 2026February 23, 2026

A UT San Antonio-led international research team has identified chitin, the primary organic component of modern crab shells and insect exoskeletons, in trilobite fossils more than 500 million years old, […]

a 187Os/188Os ratios represent age-corrected (red circle) and measured (white circle) isotope ratios. bOs and Re concentrations. cIr and Ru concentrations. d Pt and Pd concentrations. e Os/Ir ratios. Planktic foraminiferal zonations A21 and W11 are from ref. 29 and ref. 31, respectively. Os/Ir ratios for CI chondrite and upper continental crust (UCC) are from refs. -- University of Texas Austin

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Press Release, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Hydrothermal System Helped Life Recover After Dino-Killing Asteroid

by Keith CowingFebruary 18, 2026February 18, 2026

About 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into the planet, wiping out all non-avian dinosaurs and about 70% of all marine species. But according to new research, the crater […]

Tagoudite Formation in the Central High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Sample Return

Wrinkly Rocks May Actually Be A Fossilized Microbial Community

by Keith CowingFebruary 13, 2026February 13, 2026

In 2016 while hiking on a hillside in Morocco, geologist Rowan Martindale saw something that made her stop in her tracks: a slab of sedimentary rock covered in a wrinkly […]

Quantitative morphological metric extraction results and numerical simulation results. A. Spatial distribution of DAF across the study area, overlaid on a shaded relief base map derived from DTEEC_033165_2195_032875_2195_A01 (26). Colors represent specific DAF values indicated by the color bar on the bottom right. The MBT boundary is shown as a black dashed line. B. Schematic diagram defining the key morphological feature of MBT. The curve represents the terrain tangent of MBT. The yellow shaded areas indicate depression. The dashed line represents the depression threshold elevation (DTE) (see SI Appendix). C-E. HiRISE images of three local MBT in the study area. All three images share the same scale-bar. F-H. Detrended observed elevation data for three MBT areas shown in C-E, respectively (SI Appendix, Fig. S3). The white contour lines, which correspond to DTE values, outline the depression areas. Colors indicate elevation value using a color bar shown to the right of H. The I-K. Simulation results with increasing maximum stone movement rate (𝑣max): 3.25 mm/cycle (I), 3.40 mm/cycle (J) and 3.90 mm/cycle(K).Colors represent the simulated elevation using a common color bar shown to the right of K. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Sculpting Of Martian Brain Terrain Reveals The Drying Of Ancient Mars

by Keith CowingFebruary 5, 2026February 5, 2026

The Martian brain terrain (MBT), characterized by its unique brain-like morphology, is a potential geological archive for finding hints of paleoclimatic conditions during its formation period.

Purported chemotrophic microfossils from the Palaeoarchaean, from the 3.45 Gyr Kitty’s Gap Chert, Pilbara.

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

What The Earliest Evidence For Life Tells Us About The Early Evolution Of The Biosphere

by Keith CowingJanuary 31, 2026January 31, 2026

Life emerged on Earth in an ultramafic world under anaerobic conditions and conditioned by particular environmental characteristics for which no record remains.

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Huayuan Biota Decodes Earth’s First Phanerozoic Mass Extinction

by Keith CowingJanuary 30, 2026January 30, 2026

Around 540 million years ago, Earth’s biosphere underwent a pivotal transformation, shifting from a microbe-dominated world to one teeming with animal life, as nearly all major animal phyla appeared abruptly […]

(D) White cotton-like secondary mineral deposits on the wall–ceiling interface (sampling site CLT3, dark zone; scale bar = 10 cm). -- Astrobiology via Sage

Analog Studies, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

The Microbial Inhabitants of the Corona Lava Tube: Astrobiological Insights from a Mars Analog Environment

by Keith CowingJanuary 28, 2026January 28, 2026

Lava tubes are recognized as strategic targets in the search for life on Mars. The Corona Lava Tube System in Lanzarote serves as a terrestrial analog for martian subsurface environments […]

Fossils & Paleontology

Life Forms Can Planet Hop On Asteroid Debris – And Survive

On The Nature Of The Earliest Known Lifeforms

Biosignatures: Detection Of A Biopolymer In 500 Million Year Old Trilobite Fossils

Hydrothermal System Helped Life Recover After Dino-Killing Asteroid

Wrinkly Rocks May Actually Be A Fossilized Microbial Community

Sculpting Of Martian Brain Terrain Reveals The Drying Of Ancient Mars

What The Earliest Evidence For Life Tells Us About The Early Evolution Of The Biosphere

Huayuan Biota Decodes Earth’s First Phanerozoic Mass Extinction

The Microbial Inhabitants of the Corona Lava Tube: Astrobiological Insights from a Mars Analog Environment

Juice Astrobiology Mission To Fly Past Earth For Third Gravity Assist

Planetary Health Check 2026 Finds Mounting Pressures Across Earth’s Life Support Systems – Reports And Proceedings

Prebiotic Peptide Formation Triggered By Urea-rich Warm Little Ponds On Early Earth

Thyles Rupes Region Of Mars

Do Himalayan-style Mountains Lie Under The Antarctic ice: Implication For The Gondwana Supermountains, The Rise Of Oxygen And The Cambrian Explosion?

Community Workshop: The Mission to Enceladus – The ESA L4 Mission

Rogue Worlds 3

NRAO CosmicAI Virtual Winter School

American Astronomical Society AAS 249th Meeting

From Gaia to GaiaNIR: Science from Precision Astrometry Across the Universe and Beyond the Extinction Barrier