The Federal Council has approved funding for the “Genesis” project on the origins of life, led by ETH Zurich in collaboration with the University of Lausanne. Genesis is one of […]
Origin & Evolution of Life
Posted inAtmospheres, 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
Life emerged on Earth in an ultramafic world under anaerobic conditions and conditioned by particular environmental characteristics for which no record remains.
Posted inConferences and Meetings, NASA Astrobiology Program, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts
LIFE NASA RCN Seminar 11 February 2026
Time: February 11th, 8AM PDT/11AM EDTJOIN https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/96506145424#success Join the 2026 LIFE NASA RCN Seminar Series! This month’s speakers are Dr. Martina Preiner and Oskari Lehtinen, MSc. Dr. Martina Preiner, head […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Impact events, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Status Report
High-Pressure Torsion-Induced Transformation of Adenosine Monophosphate: Insights into Prebiotic Chemistry of RNA by Astronomical Impacts
The origin of life is yet a compelling scientific mystery that has sometimes been attributed to high-pressure impacts by small solar system bodies such as comets, meteoroids, asteroids, and transitional […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Key Drivers Of Recurrent Extinction In The Triassic
Mass extinctions are extremely catastrophic events on Earth. Throughout Earth’s evolutionary history, numerous mass extinctions have occurred, with five major mass extinctions being particularly representative.
Posted inBiogeochemical 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
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 […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
410 Million Year Old Fossil Of Prototaxites Defies Classification
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 […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Noncanonical Genetic Markers Resolve The Pre-GOE Emergence Of Aerobic Bacteria In Earth’s History
The transition from anaerobic to aerobic life was a pivotal adaptation in Earth’s history, yet the timing and genomic drivers remain poorly resolved.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Impact events, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Press Release
Earth’s Ancient Atmosphere May Have Rained Down The Key Ingredients For Life
New research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that Earth’s ancient atmosphere may have acted as a global chemical factory, naturally producing sulfur-containing molecules that would […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Status Report
Potential Metabolic Viability On Asteroid Chemistry
While it has been long supposed that asteroids played a role in the delivery of important prebiotic compounds to early Earth, the exact nature of the interactions between asteroidal material […]