The way that Earth’s first animals reproduced held back life’s diversity for millions of years, until stress and competition led to the development of sexual reproduction, which in turn accelerated […]
fossils
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Terraforming & Geoengineering, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Astrobiology Rover Targets A Vast Bed Of Clay In Its Search For Life
In the region where the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover will search for signs of life, clay deposits extend beyond previous estimates, a new study finds. One hypothesis even suggests a […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Assessing the Earliest Evidence for Life in the Geologic and Genomic Records
Both the geologic and genomic records provide information on the earliest history of terrestrial life.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Early Complex Life Lived In Oxygenated Seas, Challenging Long‑held Views Of Evolution
The earliest known eukaryotes, the ancestors of all complex life on Earth, lived in oxygenated, shallow marine environments nearly 1.7 billion years ago, according to a new study led by […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Sample Return, Status Report
Biosignatures: Evidence for Endogenous Collagen in Edmontosaurus Fossil BoneAnalytical Chemistry via PubMed
Reports of proteins in fossilized bones have been a subject of controversy in the scientific literature because it is assumed that fossilization results in the destruction of all organic components.
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
New Method Sharpens The Search For Alien Biology
For decades, the search for life beyond Earth has revolved around a key question: What molecules should scientists be looking for on other planets or moons?
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Impact events, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release
How Primitive Plants Evolved To Survive Earth’s Most Catastrophic Extinction Event
How primitive plants evolved to survive Earth’s most catastrophic extinction event.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
New Evidence For An Ancient Ocean On Mars
Caltech researchers have identified geological features on Mars that could point to the existence of a long-dried ocean that once covered a third of the Red Planet’s surface.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
From Asgard to Earth: Tiny Discoveries Hold Clues To Life’s Greatest Leap
Stromatolites – and their close relatives, microbial mats – could be mistaken for what seems like a bunch of old dark rocks. But instead, they are dense, layered communities of […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Refining The Clock Of Earth’s Early Complex Animal Life
How can we measure time more than 500 million years into the past? A study recently published in Nature Communications by researchers at the University of Lausanne presents a new […]