The genus ‘Prototaxites’ had previously been thought to be an early type of fungus. However, in a new paper published in Science Advances, researchers from the University of Edinburgh and […]
Fossils & Paleontology
Posted inExtinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Evidence Of ‘lightning-fast’ Evolution Found After Dinosaur-killing Asteroid Impact
The asteroid that struck the Earth 66 million years ago devastated life across the planet, wiping out the dinosaurs and other organisms in a hail of fire and catastrophic climate […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Press Release
How Earth’s Greenhouse Age Ended 66 Million Years Ago
A 66 million-year-old mystery behind how our planet transformed from a tropical greenhouse to the ice-capped world of today has been unravelled by scientists.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Status Report
Mass Extinction Coincided With Expanded Continental Margin Euxinia During the Cambrian Age 4
Earth’s biosphere witnessed the first major extinction event in the Phanerozoic during the Cambrian Age 4, with a genera loss up to ∼45%. The traditional view suggested that marine anoxia […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release
Lichen Paved The Way For Plants And Animals To Thrive On Earth
Lichens were already widespread over 410 million years ago, according to a new international study which identifies a fossil from Brazil as one of the oldest lichen in Earth’s history.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Signs Of Ancient Life Turn Up In An Unexpected Place
Dr. Rowan Martindale, a paleoecologist and geobiologist at the University of Texas at Austin, was walking through the Dadès Valley in the Central High Atlas Mountains of Morocco when she […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
How Did These Strange, Ancient Earth Life Forms Turn Into Such Remarkable Fossils?
In Earth’s fossil record, soft-bodied organisms like jellyfish rarely stand the test of time. What’s more, it’s hard for any animal to get preserved with exceptional detail in sandstones, which […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Salt Diapirs As An Architect Of Neoproterozoic Stromatolite Platform Reefs
During the Precambrian, stromatolite reefs played an essential role in the evolution of Earth’s climate and life systems. Many Precambrian basins contain salt-influenced stratigraphy, yet the potential for salt diapirism […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report: 11 January 2026: Overland Traverse To Lake Untersee (Update)
Update: Dale and his team are now at Lake Untersee at S 71.260082° E 13.506017° at an elevation of 2,645 ft. Picture below. Dale Andersen and his team are now […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report
Self-assembled Versus Biological Pattern Formation In Geology
Both abiotic self-organization and biological mechanisms have been put forward as the origin of a number of geological patterns.