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Hot Topic
Origins
Origin & Evolution of Life
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A Small Step in the RNA World
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
02/27/10 |
| Scientists have created an extremely small RNA molecule that can catalyze a key reaction needed to synthesize proteins, the building blocks of life. The team believes that their findings could shed light on life's early origins on Earth. |
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Life Stripped Down
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
02/23/10 |
| Scientists have discovered a ocean-dwelling microbe that survives with a remarkably reduced set of genes. Dubbed a 'metabolic minimalist', the unique cyanobacteria plays an important role in the global cycling of nitrogen on Earth. |
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Complex Ocean, Complex Life
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
02/21/10 |
| Researchers have developed a detailed and dynamic 3-D model of Earth's ocean chemistry 635-551 million years ago. The study could significantly advance our understanding of how early animal life evolved on the planet. |
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Bringing the Definition of ‘Life´ to Closure
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
02/11/10 |
| In the search for life beyond Earth, we should not expect to find life forms we´re familiar with. Determining whether something completely alien is ‘alive´ could be a challenge, so a universal definition of life is needed. Biologists have yet to agree on a definition, but a new theory attempts to provide a solution. |
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No Soup For You
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
02/07/10 |
| A new paper may overturn ideas that life emerged from a 'primordial soup' of organic molecules before evolving out of the oceans millions of years later. The study asserts that hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor provided chemical energy to kick-start early life. |
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Gone With the Wind
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
01/31/10 |
| Biologists have discovered the secret to the evolutionary longevity of bdelloid rotifers. These organisms are able to avoid parasites by drying up until they are exposed to a fresh drop of water. These unique lifeforms are helping scientists understand the complexities of life on Earth and the various methods that organisms have evolved for survival. |
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Gators Breathe Like Birds
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
01/20/10 |
| By studying how alligators breathe, scientists have drawn new connections between the reptiles and modern birds. Their breathing method may have helped the dinosaurs' ancestors dominate the planet after one of Earth's worst mass extinctions. |
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Astrobiology Top 10: Reanimating Extinct Genes
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
12/29/09 |
| AM is looking back over 2009, highlighting the top 10 astrobiology stories of the year. Our story number 5 is about research to insert ancient genes into modern bacteria. Will the bacteria evolve the same way it did in the past, or will it take an entirely new path? (This story originally was published on April 27, 2009). |
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Prussian Blue and the Origin of Life
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
12/22/09 |
| By recreating the conditions present on the early Earth, researchers have shown that substances considered essential in forming basic biological molecules can be obtained from a salt called Prussian blue. These substances include hydrogen cyanide, urea, lactic acid and other important precursors for the origin of life. |
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Shallow Origins
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
12/21/09 |
| New research, focusing on shallow hydrothermal vents, is shedding light on a possible location for where life on Earth began. |
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