Ancient gut fossil is the oldest one yet

A 550-million-year-old fossilized digestive tract could shed light on the early history of animals on Earth and a key moment in evolution.

Eric Stann-Missouri • futurity
Jan. 14, 2020 ~3 min

Did life on Earth start in ‘soda lakes’?

"For 50 years, what's called 'the phosphate problem,' has plagued studies on the origin of life." New research may solve it.

Hannah Hickey-UW • futurity
Dec. 31, 2019 ~5 min


Our planet is partly made of stardust from red giants

The Earth is partly made of stardust from red giant stars, aging stars that expand because they've run out of fuel in their core.

Barbara Vonarburg-ETH Zurich • futurity
Dec. 11, 2019 ~5 min

Hot rocks offer clues to life on ‘Snowball Earth’

Scientists braved the heat to answer a question about oxygen and "Snowball Earth," a period when the oceans virtually froze from the poles to the equator.

U. Melbourne • futurity
Dec. 4, 2019 ~8 min

Volcanic eruptions might have given Earth its first oxygen

A new theory involving volcanoes may partly explain the appearance of the first oxygen on Earth 2.5 billion years ago, researchers say.

Jade Boyd-Rice • futurity
Dec. 3, 2019 ~7 min

Mass extinction from 260 million years ago brings the total to 6

A previously underestimated extinction event actually reaches the level of one of only six mass extinctions in geologic history, researchers say.

James Devitt-NYU • futurity
Sept. 11, 2019 ~3 min

Microbe apocalypse was bigger than the dinosaur die-off

Around 2 billion years ago, there was a mass die-off of microbes. Researchers say it rivals the loss of life from the dinosaurs' extinction.

Danielle Torrent Tucker-Stanford • futurity
Aug. 29, 2019 ~5 min

Meteors explain differences between Earth and moon elements

After the formation of the moon, meteorites deposited elements like gold on Earth and the moon, but not in the same amounts. New research explains why.

Andy Fell-UC Davis • futurity
July 15, 2019 ~3 min


Star crash likely gave Earth some gold and platinum

Astrophysicists have identified an event 4.6 billion years ago as the likely source of some of the most coveted matter on Earth.

Gigi Marino-Florida • futurity
May 2, 2019 ~2 min

Without ancient star, Earth could be a icy, watery wasteland

We may have a proto-sun to thank for the Earth's solid surface and mild climate, researchers report.

Barbara Vonarburg-ETH Zurich • futurity
Feb. 12, 2019 ~6 min

/

4