Origin of Life News

February 18, 2020

Top Headlines

Illustration of Cryptococcus neoformans (stock image). | Credit: (c) Kateryna_Kon / stock.adobe.com

'Living Fossil' May Upend Basic Tenet of Evolutionary Theory

Jan. 16, 2020 — A research team has discovered the first conclusive evidence that selection may also occur at the level of the epigenome -- a term that refers to an assortment of chemical ... read more

Giant squid illustration (stock image). | Credit: (c) Kletr / stock.adobe.com

The Mysterious, Legendary Giant Squid's Genome Is Revealed

Jan. 16, 2020 — Important clues about the anatomy and evolution of the mysterious giant squid (Architeuthis dux) are revealed through publication of its full ... read more

Fossils (stock image). | Credit: (c) Budimir Jevtic / stock.adobe.com

Scientists Find Oldest-Known Fossilized Digestive Tract -- 550 Million Years

Jan. 10, 2020 — An analysis of tubular fossils provides evidence of a 550-million-year-old digestive tract -- one of the oldest known ... read more

Ancient 'Chewing Gum' Yields Insights Into People and Bacteria of the Past

Dec. 17, 2019 — Researchers have succeeded in extracting a complete human genome from a thousands-of-years old 'chewing gum.' According to the researchers, it is a new untapped source of ancient ... read more

Latest Headlines

updated 5:54pm EST

Boom and Bust for Ancient Sea Dragons

Feb. 13, 2020 — Scientists show a well-known group of extinct marine reptiles had an early burst in their diversity and evolution - but that a failure to adapt in the long-run may have led to their ... read more

Mystery of How Early Animals Survived Ice Age

Dec. 2, 2019 — How did life survive the most severe ice age? A team has found the first direct evidence that glacial meltwater provided a crucial lifeline to eukaryotes during Snowball Earth, when the oceans were ... read more

How Ancient Microbes Created Massive Ore Deposits, Set Stage for Early Life

Dec. 2, 2019 — Ancestors of modern bacteria cultured from an iron-rich lake in Democratic Republic of Congo could have been key to keeping Earth's dimly lit early climate warm, and in forming the world's largest ... read more

Humans Co-Evolved With Immune-Related Diseases -- And It's Still Happening

Nov. 27, 2019 — Some of the same mutations allowing humans to fend off deadly infections also make us more prone to certain inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn's disease. Researchers describe how ... read more

Solving Fossil Mystery Could Aid Quest for Ancient Life on Mars

Nov. 27, 2019 — The search for evidence of life on Mars could be helped by fresh insights into ancient rocks on ... read more

Scanning System in Sperm May Control Rate of Human Evolution

Jan. 23, 2020 — Maturing sperm cells turn on most of their genes, not to follow their genetic instructions like normal, but instead to repair DNA before passing it to the next generation, a new study ... read more

Unravelling Arthropod Genomic Diversity Over 500 Million Years of Evolution

Jan. 23, 2020 — The evolutionary innovations of insects and other arthropods are as numerous as they are wondrous, from terrifying fangs and stingers to exquisitely colored wings and ingenious feats of engineering. ... read more

Domesticated Wheat Has Complex Parentage

Jan. 22, 2020 — Certain types of domesticated wheat have complicated origins, with genetic contributions from wild and cultivated wheat populations on opposite sides of the Fertile ... read more

First Building Blocks of Life on Earth May Have Been Messier Than Previously Thought

Jan. 22, 2020 — When the Earth was born, it was a mess. Meteors and lightning storms likely bombarded the planet's surface where nothing except lifeless chemicals ... read more