The vast chemical space of possible small molecules, estimated at 1060 compounds for molecules composed of just C, N, O, and S, is only sparsely occupied by biology.
geochemistry
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 inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Tricks of Nature From the Ancient Earth and Early Mars: Chemical Gardens Generate Biomorphs With High Preservation Potential
Observations of morphology are commonly used to evaluate the biogenicity of terrestrial microfossils and could constitute a crucial line of evidence for extraterrestrial life‐detection missions in the future.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
How The Rise Of Continents May Have Set The Stage For Life On Earth
Earth’s earliest continents may have set the chemical stage for life by regulating boron levels in ancient oceans, a new study in Terra Nova suggests.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Shedding Light On How Hydrogen Cyanide Formed On Early Earth
Manganese dioxide can convert amino acids into hydrogen cyanide (HCN) without requiring methane, solving a long-standing puzzle about the origin of this key prebiotic molecule on early Earth, as reported […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report
Evidence For Cable Bacteria Inhabiting Deep In Anoxic Sediment Reveals A Novel Ecological Niche
Background Cable bacteria are filamentous sulphide-oxidisers capable of cm-scale electron transport. They are generally considered restricted to the upper few oxic–suboxic cm of marine sediments, where they couple sulphide oxidation […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report
Hawaiian Geothermal Fumaroles Contain Diverse and Novel Viruses
Microbial communities of geothermal habitats are central to understanding the evolution of life on Earth. Metagenomics has provided insight into the role of viruses in shaping microbial diversity of complex […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report
Strong Nickel Enrichment Co-located With Redox-organic Interactions In Neretva Vallis, Mars
In 2024, NASA’s Perseverance rover explored Neretva Vallis, an ancient river channel that once transported water into Jezero crater.
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
New Study Reveals Asynchronous Land–ocean Responses To Ancient Ocean Anoxia
Earth experienced a period of intense, large-scale volcanism during the early Aptian. Around that time, it also experienced widespread ocean deoxygenation during the Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a) as well […]
![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 […]