[Life Sciences in Space Research] Astrobiological analog environments comprise Earth-based environments that share similarities with a target setting (another planetary body or Precambrian Earth conditions) and whose defining features influence […]
Fossil
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Micropeloidal Textures – Definition, Formation And Potential As Biosignatures
[Earth-Science Reviews] Microbial biosignatures result from the interactions between microbial populations, metabolic processes, organic and mineral products, and the surrounding physicochemical environment.
Posted inFossils & Paleontology
Where Was This Fossil 200 Million Years Ago?
[University of Barcelona] Calculating a fossil’s position throughout geological history is a complex process. In palaeontology and other disciplines, determining a location in the past is quite a challenge that […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Forgotten Fossil Helps Rewrite Part Of Animal Evolution
New research helps to fill in questions about the so-called “Furongian gap” from about 497 million to 485 million years ago, when palaeontologists previously thought there were far fewer fossils […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Microfossils interpreted as animal traces were actually algae and bactéria
A reexamination of microfossils found in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul shows that the marks previously interpreted as traces of worms or other small oceanic animals are […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Early Complex Earth Life Clung To Oxygenated Seafloors For Hundreds Of Millions Of Years
From the highest mountains to the deepest ocean, the driest desert to the lushest jungle, Earth displays a dazzling array of lifeforms. And eukaryotes account for many of these lifeforms, […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Spectacular Fossil Treasure Trove Pushes Back Origins Of Complex Animals
A newly discovered fossil site in southwest China has transformed our understanding of how complex animal life emerged on Earth, revealing that many key animal groups had already evolved before […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Sample Return, Status Report
Clade Dynamics Support An Early Origin Of Crown Eukaryotes
The timing of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) remains a fundamental question in evolutionary biology and palaeontology. Unambiguous eukaryotic-grade fossils appear from 1780 Ma, but no crown-group supergroups are […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Comets and Asteroids, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
The Zhamanshin Impact Event: Potential Implications for Environmental Responses and Biological Linkages on Earth and Beyond
At least one large-body (diameter > 1.1 km) hypervelocity cratering event occurred during ~ 0.8-0.90 Ma (Zhamanshin, Kazakhstan) in the Middle Pleistocene Transition period.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Status Report
Ichnofossils in Volcanic Glass From Palaeoproterozoic Hydrothermal Vents Were Burrowed By Microorganisms Probably Seeking Phosphate
Ichnofossils in basaltic glass are putative microscopic trace fossils occurring on modern seafloor and throughout Earth history. While their biological origin remains debated, it is unknown why microorganisms thrive in […]