While exploring ancient seabeds in Morocco, scientists discovered strange wrinkle-like textures in deep-water sediments that shouldn’t have been there. These structures are usually made by ...

The study of early Earth microbial life and its associated organic matter provides crucial insights into the origins and evolution of life on our planet. Recent work has illuminated the remarkable ...

Our single-celled ancestor lived in a world without plants, animals or oxygen-rich oceans. Yet, this seemingly simple microorganism took the first steps toward complex life. From this ancestor emerged ...

Over four years since it landed on Mars, NASA's Perseverance Rover might have made serious headway in its mission to find signs of ancient microbial life on the planet. Last July, the autonomous ...

In a new study published in Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment on Nov. 5, Prof. Zeng Fanjiang's team from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has ...

First author Swan Sow, heading out for seawater sampling from the Rothera long-term ecological monitoring site of the British Antarctic Survey. This study was a first, integrating data on bacteria and ...

After a catastrophic asteroid impact 78 million years ago, life didn't just survive—it thrived, at least according to new research that provides the first direct evidence of microbial life ...

Researchers studying Yellowstone’s depths discovered that small earthquakes can recharge underground microbial life. The quakes exposed new rock and fluids, creating bursts of chemical energy that ...

Underground environments like soil and aquifers teem with microbial life. These tiny microbes play a big role in cycling nutrients and breaking down or transforming pollutants. However, scientists ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A close up of the Mars rock of interest, showing where the poppy seeds and leopard spots are ...