The biosphere bounces back from mass extinctions with the origin of new species.

The biosphere bounces back from mass extinctions with the origin of new species.

Molecular detectives have traced human ancestry back to the so-called Mitochondrial Eve, the last female common ancestor. More recent research has posited a Y-chromosome Adam, the last male common ancestor.

The Beagle 2, a compact, lightweight lander carried on the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express, will search for signs of life on the red planet.

A serendipitous examination of ocean waters last year brought a big surprise for a team of US and Canadian scientists, a surprise that's causing marine ecologists to rethink the details of how ocean ecosystems function.

Chemist Steven A. Benner and his colleagues are combining chemistry, geological history and paleontology in an approach aimed at better understanding of life on Earth.

Scientists have studied the life history of animals, part of a field called development, for many decades. Other scientists have studied how life arose and evolved on Earth.