The origin of the first living molecules on our planet has long been debated. However, recent experiments are revealing new ...

For decades, scientists believed that a vast stretch of Earth’s early history unfolded under stable and uneventful conditions ...

New method reveals chemical signs of early microbial life in ancient Earth rocks, showing photosynthesis evolved much earlier ...

In an investigation to find out what sparked life on Earth, researchers have discovered that RNA formed through surprisingly ...

Before sunlight ever reached the planet, another force may have sparked life—electricity. Deep beneath the ocean floor, ancient hydrothermal vents might have generated natural electric fields strong ...

Researchers have discovered chemical traces of life in rocks older than 3.3 billion years, offering a rare look at Earth’s earliest biology. By combining advanced chemical methods with artificial ...

New research suggests that amino acids, the fundamental components of life, may have arrived on Earth carried by interstellar ...

Life on Earth began in a world of volcanic eruptions, violent storms, and a toxic atmosphere. Yet somehow, from this chaos, ...

How did life begin on Earth? While scientists have theories, they don't yet fully understand the precise chemical steps that led to biology, or when the first primitive life forms appeared. But what ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. We’ve pieced together a remarkably detailed timeline of ...

Early Earth may not have had the right ingredients for life — until a nearby Mars-size planet crashed into it, two new studies hint. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an ...

Scientists have discovered that complex life began evolving much earlier than traditional models suggested. Using an expanded molecular clock approach, the team showed that crucial cellular features ...