This image was captured by Curiosity’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a camera on the end of its robotic arm, on June 4, 2024, the 4,205th Martian day, or sol, […]
Fossils & Paleontology
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report
Ancient Metagenomics Reveals Subglacial Microbiomes Driven By Oxygen Availability
Beneath Earth’s glaciers and ice sheets lies an aquatic realm where ice, water, rock, and microbial life interact, driving chemical reactions that can collectively influence the global carbon cycle, polar […]
![Selected examples of different chemically oscillating reactions (COR) with patterns produced during the decarboxylation of malonic acid [1 M] using a solution of sodium bromate [1 M], sulfuric acid [0.33 M], sodium bromide [1 M], and phenanthroline ferrous sulfate [0.025 M]. (A) Spot proliferation pattern in a 10 cm diameter petri dish. (B) A few spots of different sizes formed within half a minute. (C) Pairs of images of a COR in a petri dish with insets taken five seconds apart showing the radial diffusion of circularly concentric spots. (D) Spots spanning from sub-millimeter (white arrows) to centimeter sizes. (E) Twinned circularly concentric spots (white dashed line shows the twin plane). A few bubbles of CO2 produced by the reaction can be seen. (F) Circularly concentric spot with short color gradients in laminations. (G) Circularly concentric spot with long color gradients in laminations. (H) Circularly concentric spot with dozens of laminations and CO2 bubbles, formed later (at ∼26 min) during another reaction. -- GeoScience World](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Authigenic-biosignatures-of-microbial.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Authigenic Biosignatures Of Microbial Biomass Preserved As Carbonate Ooids Formed By Abiotic Chemically Oscillating Reactions Throughout Earth History
Ooids are small spheroidal carbonate grains that have circularly concentric and radially aligned crystals. Oolitic carbonates are commonly associated with fossils or organic matter, which has led to hypothetical formation […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Courses, Fossils & Paleontology, Status Report, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts
LIFE NASA RCN Seminar 6 January 2026
Join the 2026 LIFE NASA RCN Seminar Series! This month’s speakers are Dr. Ilya Bobrovskiy and Dr. Tharika Liyanage.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Designing Peptide Fossils That Model the Evolution of the Bacterial Ferredoxin Fold
Electron transfer coupled to redox chemistry is at the heart of metabolism. The proteins responsible for moving electrons (protein electron carriers) must have emerged at the origin of life.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Sample Return, Status Report
Subsurface Life On Earth As A Key To Unlock Extraterrestrial Mysteries
The first forms of life on Earth were microbial, preceding the evolution of multicellular life by more than two billion years.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Study Showcases Resilience and Rapid Growth of “Living Rocks”
South Africa is home to some of the oldest evidence of life on Earth, contained in rocky, often layered outcroppings called microbialites. Like coral reefs, these complex “living rocks” are […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Rare Earth Elements – Of Peptides And The Origins Of Life
Elements from the group of rare earth metals are of great importance today, also in technical applications. The Bioinorganic Chemistry group at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) is conducting diverse […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Fossils & Paleontology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report, Terraforming & Geoengineering
Mapping Mars’ Large River Drainage Systems For The First Time
Billions of years ago, it rained on Mars. The water collected in valleys and rivers, filled and spilled over the rims of craters, and was funneled into canyons, perhaps even […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Habitable From The Start: How Initial Planetary Formation Conditions May Create Habitable Worlds
The breadth of topics that encompass the search for life has expanded and evolved significantly since the emergence of the field of astrobiology.