The first life on Earth could have evolved in warm pools of water on islands speckling a vast, planet-wide ocean. Complex animals evolved up to 10 million years earlier than previously thought, fossil ...

Our planet is unique for its ability to sustain abundant life. From studies of the rock record, scientists believe life had already emerged on Earth at least 3.5 billion years ago and probably much ...

How life emerged on Earth is among the most significant mysteries in science. Though it remains an open question in biology, scientists have some pretty promising theories as to how a chemical soup ...

AI is helping chemists unpick the mysteries around the origins of life and detect signs of it on other worlds. The Biggest Questions is a mini-series that explores how technology is helping probe some ...

Life has found a home on Earth for around 4 billion years. That's a significant fraction of the universe's 13.77 billion-year history. Presumably, if life arose here, it could have appeared anywhere.

The first living organisms may have relied on nickel and sulphur to obtain energy and sustain themselves. That is the conclusion of a study that shows how nickel sulphide can transform simple ...