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The Mother of All Humans
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
08/20/10 |
| Summary: Scientists have performed the most robust statistical examination to date of our genetic links to the maternal ancestor of all living humans. The study could help scientists understand the history of life on Earth and some of the mechanisms behind evolution. |
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Animals Appeared Even Earlier
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
08/18/10 |
| Summary: Scientists may have discovered the oldest fossils of animal bodies, pushing back the clock on when animal life appeared on Earth. The finding could yield new clues about the evolution of life on our planet. |
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Peeking between the Sheets for Life's Origin
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
08/08/10 |
| Summary: Scientists may have a new answer to the question, "where did life on Earth start?" Research shows that life could have originated between sheets of mica that were layers like the pages in a book. Understanding the origin of life is a key goal of astrobiology. |
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Sponge Reveals Animal Origins
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
08/07/10 |
| Summary: A simple sponge is revealing mysteries about the evolution of life on Earth. Scientists have sequenced the genome of a sponge from Australia. The information is now helping biologists search for DNA sequences shared by multicellular animals. |
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The Blob from the Past
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
08/06/10 |
| Summary: Scientists have used a 3D computer model to reveal a unique, blob-like creature that lived in the oceans approximately 425 million years ago. The previously unknown, primitive creature provides insight into the evolution of life on Earth. |
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Clues to Life's Shift from Simple to Complex
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
07/13/10 |
| Summary: A new study shows that the transition from unicellular to multicelluar organisms may not have been as difficult as previously thought. The evolution of multicelluar organisms was one of the most pivotal steps in the history of life on Earth. |
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UV Adds the Missing 'G'
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
06/19/10 |
| Summary: By adding ultraviolet light to a model prebiotic reaction, researchers have discovered a way to form guanine. Guanine is a building block of RNA and scientists previously had trouble determining a method by which the molecule could have formed on the ancient Earth. |
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Nature's Batteries
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
05/30/10 |
| Summary: Researchers have discovered that a compound known as pyrophosphite may have been an important energy source for primitive organisms on the early Earth. |
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Synthetic Genome
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
05/22/10 |
| Summary: Scientists have built a bacterial genome from scratch and used it to 'reboot' a cell from a different species of bacterium. The achievement could pave the way for engineering bacteria that produce biofuels or proteins used to treat disease. |
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Triangulating Photosynthesis
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| Topic: Origin & Evolution of Life |
05/21/10 |
| Summary: Researchers may have determined a way to glean new information from ancient, poorly preserved fossils. Remnants of stromatolites that are billions of years old could help astrobiologists identify when microorganisms first began using photosynthesis to harvest energy from sunlight. |
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