Too many good papers came out this week, so I am doing the countdown with letters (not numbers) as they are all winners. Enjoy!

1a. Ancient Animals:

Erwin et al. present the origination times of early animals (as old as pre-Cambrian) and estimate that the last common animal ancestor (LCAA?) may have lived ~800 million years ago. Results published in the journal Science:

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/334/6059/1091.short

1b. Ancient Atmospheres:

Scientist from the New York Center for Astrobiology simulate the atmospheric conditions of the early Earth using oldest minerals! Study led by postdoc Dustin Trail, available here:

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v480/n7375/full/nature10655.html

1c. Weird Life:

Crystal structure of a reductase capable of “anaerobic” oxidation of methane is published. So here is to methane rich non-oxygenic environments!

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature10663.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20111201