All articles tagged with #early earth
Scientists studying the Alaska-caught enstatite chondrite meteorite LAR 12252 found hydrogen sulfide in its rock matrix, a result unlikely from contamination. This supports the idea that Earth’s water could have formed from native materials during its formation, challenging the long-standing view that water was delivered later by water-rich asteroids.
Chemist John Sutherland explains that life's origins are plausible through natural chemistry involving simple molecules like hydrogen cyanide, challenging the idea that life requires a miracle, and suggests that life could be common in the universe if the right chemical conditions are met.
Scientists have identified the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) of all life on Earth, dating it to around 4.2 billion years ago. LUCA was a complex, cellular organism that thrived in hot, oxygen-free environments using hydrogen-based metabolism and had early immune systems, indicating rapid evolution of life shortly after Earth's formation.
New research pushes back the timeline of LUCA, the last universal common ancestor, to about 4.2 billion years ago during Earth's Hadean Eon, suggesting life was active and evolving in extreme conditions much earlier than previously thought, with signs of primitive immune systems and environmental interaction.
New research indicates that during Earth's early molten phase, vast amounts of water were stored deep within the mantle, particularly in the mineral bridgmanite, which acted as a microscopic water reservoir. This hidden water played a crucial role in Earth's evolution, helping it transition from a fiery planet to a habitable world by facilitating internal circulation and surface water formation.
Scientists recreated ancient ocean conditions in the lab, demonstrating that natural gradients at hydrothermal vents could have driven the first chemical reactions of life, supporting the theory that life’s building blocks formed through inorganic processes powered by environmental energy, without the need for enzymes or organic molecules.
Scientists are revising their understanding of the emergence of genes and amino acids in early life, suggesting that the traditional model may underestimate the role of certain amino acids like tryptophan and the complexity of early genetic codes, which could have implications for searching for life on other planets like Saturn's moon Enceladus.
Scientists are reevaluating the order in which amino acids emerged in the origin of life, suggesting that early protolife may have included a broader range of amino acids than previously thought, which could reshape our understanding of life's beginnings on Earth and potentially elsewhere in the universe.
Researchers studying Japanese iron-rich hot springs have uncovered microbial communities that resemble those from Earth's early oceans during the Great Oxygenation Event, providing insights into how life persisted in low-oxygen, iron-rich environments and informing the search for extraterrestrial life.
Plate tectonics may have been crucial for the development of life on Earth by stabilizing climate and recycling minerals, and its early emergence could be linked to the origin of life itself. This geological process might also be a key factor in the habitability of other planets, although direct evidence and understanding of its history remain limited.
Researchers study iron-rich hot springs in Japan to understand how ancient microorganisms survived the Great Oxygenation Event 2.3 billion years ago, revealing insights into early microbial ecosystems and potential implications for finding life on other planets.
Scientists studying Japan's iron-rich hot springs have uncovered microbial communities that resemble early Earth's conditions, providing insights into how primitive life adapted during the Great Oxidation Event, including the survival of iron-oxidizing bacteria and cryptic sulfur cycles, which may inform understanding of life's resilience in extreme environments both on Earth and beyond.
Recent research using ancient crystal chemistry and geodynamic models shows Earth's continents began forming over 4.3 billion years ago, much earlier than previously believed, with implications for understanding Earth's climate and the development of life.
Recent research indicates Earth's continents formed much earlier than previously believed, around 4.3 billion years ago, driven by active tectonic processes and mantle plumes during the Hadean, challenging the idea of a stagnant early Earth and providing new insights into crust formation and mantle recycling.
A new study suggests that Earth's continents began forming much earlier than previously thought, with evidence of active plate tectonics and crust recycling during the Hadean eon, based on chemical analysis of ancient crystals and geodynamic models.