In a new study, published in Nature this week, an international research group led from Uppsala University in Sweden presents the discovery of a group of microbes that provide new […]
Origin & Evolution of Life
Posted inFossils & Paleontology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Ancient Rocks Hold Evidence Of Life Before Oxygen
Somewhere between Earth’s creation and where we are today, scientists have demonstrated that some early life forms existed just fine without any oxygen. While researchers proclaim the first half of […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Meteorites and the RNA World: A Thermodynamic Model of Nucleobase Synthesis within Planetesimals
The possible meteorite parent body origin of Earth’s pregenetic nucleobases is substantiated by the guanine (G), adenine (A) and uracil (U) measured in various meteorites. Cytosine (C) and thymine (T) […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Constraints on the Early Terrestrial Surface UV Environment Relevant to Prebiotic Chemistry
The UV environment is a key boundary condition for the origin of life. However, considerable uncertainty exists as to planetary conditions and hence surface UV at abiogenesis. Here, we present […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Was The Secret Spice in Primal Gene Soup a Thickener?
The original recipe for gene soup may have been simple — rain, a jumble of common molecules, warm sunshine, and nighttime cooling. Then add a pinch of thickener. The last […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Mars, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Earthquakes, Marsquakes, and the Possibility of Life
A new study shows that rocks formed by the grinding together of other rocks during earthquakes are rich in trapped hydrogen — a finding that suggests similar seismic activity on […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Where Did Carbon Come From For Life on Earth?
Research by Rice University Earth scientists suggests that virtually all of Earth’s life-giving carbon could have come from a collision about 4.4 billion years ago between Earth and an embryonic […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Recreating A Primordial RNA World
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have taken a big step toward the laboratory re-creation of the “RNA world,” which is generally believed to have preceded modern life forms […]
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Evolution of Simple Multicellularity Increases Environmental Complexity
Multicellularity–the integration of previously autonomous cells into a new, more complex organism–is one of the major transitions in evolution. Multicellularity changed evolutionary possibilities and facilitated the evolution of increased complexity. […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Fossil Evidence Supports Theory That First Mass Extinction Engineered by Early Animals
Newly discovered fossil evidence from Namibia strengthens the proposition that the world’s first mass extinction was caused by “ecosystem engineers” – newly evolved biological organisms that altered the environment so […]