[Astrobiology via PubMed] This article is an anecdotal recap of lessons learned from the ALH 84001 debate in light of the historical and recent debate over the Viking results.
microfossils
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 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 inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
New Astrobiology Special Collection Explores Emerging Scientific Evidence For Land-based Origins Of Life
The scientific study of life’s origins is undergoing a major transition, from a decades-long focus on deep-sea hydrothermal vents toward increasing investigation of hot springs and other chemically dynamic environments […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Ancient Rocks Reveal Evidence Of The First Continents And Crust Recycling Processes On Earth
New research led by scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has uncovered chemical signatures in zircons, the planet’s oldest minerals, that are consistent with subduction and extensive continental crust during […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return
Signs Of Ancient Life Turn Up In An Unexpected Place
Dr. Rowan Martindale, a paleoecologist and geobiologist at the University of Texas at Austin, was walking through the Dadès Valley in the Central High Atlas Mountains of Morocco when she […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Fossilized Oysters Hold The Key To Mass Extinction
In the first and only reconstruction of ocean pH ever carried out, new research from the University of St Andrews and the University of Birmingham has discovered that a rapid […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Peptides At Vesicle And Mineral Prebiotic Interfaces
The origin of life likely involved a complex interplay between organic molecules and mineral surfaces, yet the molecular details of these interactions remain poorly understood.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Ancient Life Locked Arsenic Away To Survive Environmental Changes
Earth’s earliest life forms developed ways to survive the harmful effects of arsenic to cope with dramatic changes in their environment, a new study suggests.
Posted inAstrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Micron-scale Crystals In Halite Are Proxies For Permian Acid Brines
Permian bedded halite of the Nippewalla Group of Kansas and the Opeche Shale of North Dakota, USA, formed in extremely acid saline lakes.