Life has existed on Earth for most of the planet’s history, yet major gaps and unresolved questions remain about how it first arose and persisted. Early Earth posed numerous challenges […]
![A generalized model of dormancy. Dormancy is a set of processes acting on agents that exist in different states of activity. Active agents transition into inactive agents through the process of dormancy initiation, while inactive agents transition into active states through the process of resuscitation. Transitions can occur stochastically or in a responsive manner. Mortality rates are assumed to be higher for active agents than for inactive agents, which can facilitate migration and colonization. This form of protection can lead to the accumulation of inactive individuals and the creation of a ’seed bank', which serves as a reservoir of information contained in agents (colours) that can generate complex behaviours through the preservation of diversity and memory. Modified figure from [10]. -- Proc Biol Sci. via PubMed](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dormancy-in-the-Origin.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Life has existed on Earth for most of the planet’s history, yet major gaps and unresolved questions remain about how it first arose and persisted. Early Earth posed numerous challenges […]