[biorxiv.org] Identification of early microfossils relies on morphological and chemical criteria assumed to be unique to life, but whether abiotic microstructures can satisfy these criteria has not been rigorously tested.
protocell
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Rethinking The Origin Of Life At Seafloor Hydrothermal Vents
[PNAS] Alkaline vents have dominated a class of hypotheses for the origins of life since their discovery a quarter of century ago, but advances in understanding the nature of these […]
![The origin of life is the first, arguably, the most important and also the most enigmatic major transition in evolution (MTE). [q-bio.PE]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-first.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
The First Major Transition: Origin Of Life From A Multilevel Selection Perspective
[q-bio.PE] As all MTE, the transition at the origin of life can be constructively addressed only within the conceptual framework of multilevel selection. The two levels of selection relevant for […]
![Time evolution for two morphological dynamics in PISA specimens: (a) gelation takes place in an oxygen-poor PISA specimen, (b) “Phoenix” dynamics take place in the oxygen-rich PISA specimen (Adapted with permission from reference [19]).-- [Life]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Degradation.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
Degradation, Osmosis and the Emergence of Basic Functionalities in Abiotic Synthetic Life-like Chemical Systems
[Life] Autonomous and interconnected multiscale out-of-equilibrium processes, including chemical and physical feedbacks, occur at the micron and lower scales during the heterotrophic synthesis of simple abiotic protocells, such as the […]
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
Oil Droplets Remodel Themselves, And Swallow Their Surroundings – Like Living Cells
[New York University] NYU researchers have made microscopic oil droplets in water do something usually reserved for living cells: change shape in complex, controllable ways, and even engulf their surroundings.
![Most theoretical work on the origin of heredity has focused on how genetic information can be maintained without mutational degradation in the absence of error-proofing systems. -- [PLOS Biology]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Selection-For.png?resize=1200%2C715&ssl=1)
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics
Selection For Growth Drives The Emergence Of Genetic Heredity In Protocells
[PLOS Biology] A simple and parsimonious solution assumes the first gene sequences evolved inside dividing protocells, which enables selection for functional sets. But this model of information maintenance does not […]
![Potential environments for the origin of life and the corresponding roles of minerals. (a) In the deep-sea hydrothermal vent hypothesis, metal sulfides play a critical role in the formation of chemical precursors and building blocks. (b) In terrestrial hot spring, minerals may concentrate and stabilize molecular building blocks, catalyze polymerization under wet–dry cycling conditions, and provide protection against environmental stresses. (c) Extraterrestrial input of organic matter through meteorites, comets and IDPs. Minerals are the carrier and preserver of organic compounds and may possibly take part in the prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds in extraterrestrial environments. (Background images are modified based on AI-generated illustrations.) -- [Fundamental Research]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-role-of-minerals.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
Posted inOrigin & Evolution of Life
The Role Of Minerals In Prebiotic Evolution: Implications For Identifying Worlds With The Potential For Life’s Origin
[Fundamental Research] Understanding the origin of life requires explaining how abiotic molecules transitioned into the first living systems within plausible geological settings. Increasing evidence suggests minerals as active participants in […]
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 inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Amino Acids as Molecular Linchpins in the Fundamental Prebiotic Processes of RNA Copying and Vesicle Formation
In addition to being delivered via exogenous means (e.g., chondritic meteorites and comets), amino acids are hypothesized to have been present on early Earth via Urey–Miller-type abiotic processes.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
From Space Dust To Protocells: Micrometeorites In Early Cellular Evolution
Solid surfaces have long been considered catalysts in prebiotic chemistry, yet their physical energy has rarely been explored as a driver of protocell assembly.