The way that Earth’s first animals reproduced held back life’s diversity for millions of years, until stress and competition led to the development of sexual reproduction, which in turn accelerated […]
University of Cambridge
Posted inFossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release
Uncovering Ancient DNA Sequences That Control Gene Function Across Plant Evolution
A ground-breaking study has traced thousands of conserved regulatory elements back 300 million years, revealing deep principles of plant genome evolution – a discovery that could pave the way for […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return, Science Fiction
New Grand Canyon Fossils Show The Evolution Of Early Animals On Earth
A treasure trove of exceptionally preserved early animals from more than half a billion years ago has been discovered in the Grand Canyon, one of the natural world’s most iconic […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Venus
Research Suggests That Venus Never Had Liquid Water On Its Surface
A team of astronomers has found that Venus has never been habitable, despite decades of speculation that our closest planetary neighbour was once much more like Earth than it is […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
How Did The Building Blocks Of Life Arrive On Earth?
Researchers have used the chemical fingerprints of zinc contained in meteorites to determine the origin of volatile elements on Earth. The results suggest that without ‘unmelted’ asteroids, there may not […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
New Instrument To Search For Signs Of Life On Other Planets
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has signed an agreement for the design and construction of ANDES, the ArmazoNes high Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Earth’s Earliest Sea Creatures Drove Evolution By Stirring The Water
A study involving the University of Cambridge has used virtual recreations of the earliest animal ecosystems, known as marine animal forests, to demonstrate the part they played in the evolution […]
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release
Drawing A Line Back To The Origin Of Life On Earth
Scientists in Cambridge University suggest molecules, vital to the development of life, could have formed from a process known as graphitisation. Once verified in the laboratory, it could allow us […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Press Release
Earth’s Earliest Forest Revealed In Somerset Fossils
The oldest fossilised forest known on Earth – dating from 390 million years ago – has been found in the high sandstone cliffs along the Devon and Somerset coast of […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Icy Worlds, Press Release
Ice Planet Dynamics: Cores Provide First Documentation Of Rapid Antarctic Ice Loss In The Past
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey have uncovered the first direct evidence that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet shrunk suddenly and dramatically at the end […]