proto-biosignatures Archives - Astrobiology

Synthetic parameter-space projection of the Geochemical Metabolic Potential. Each small point is one of 𝑀sim=5000 nondimensional synthetic environments sampled over the five PGM components. Color indicates ΦPGM. Large diamond markers are synthetic heuristic anchors listed in Table 11; their positions are not empirical estimates, mission priorities, or cross-body rankings. The figure shows that high geochemical organization and high preservation-cycling support are separable: an environment can be energetic and catalytic but weakly archived, or strongly archived but less clearly powered. The labels designate conceptual regimes rather than fixed decision boundaries or mission priorities. -- Life (Basel)

Biosignatures & Paleobiology

Proto-Biosignatures and Planetary Geochemical Metabolism: A Thermodynamic Screening Model of Prebiotic Geochemical Organization

by Keith CowingAugust 31, 2026August 31, 2026

[Life (Basel)] Astrobiological observations usually return atmospheric, mineralogical, molecular, isotopic, or textural states rather than organisms.