Stromatolites are among the most ancient signs of life on Earth, forming as far back as 3.5 billion years ago. If such mounds are detected on Mars and other distant planets, they could potentially ...

The advent of oxygenic photosynthesis on Earth may have increased global biological productivity by a factor of 100–1,000 (ref. 1), profoundly affecting both geochemical and biological evolution.

Modern-day environments in Antarctica contain ponds filled with life forms that closely resemble early multicellular ...

When the Earth froze over, where did life shelter? MIT scientists say one refuge may have been pools of melted ice that ...

In Greenland's icy expanse, scientists unearthed 3.7-billion-year-old stromatolite fossils, the oldest evidence of life on ...

What is the first evidence of life on Earth? The biological structures found in the Dresser Formation are known as stromatolites, which are the preserved remains of 'microbial mats' stacked on top of ...

A new study of ancient fossil trails pushes the origins of complex life deeper into Earth’s history, before the Cambrian Period began.

Deciphering how modern microbial communities construct these geologic features could help researchers discover even earlier forms of life on Earth and potentially even Mars.

How did complex life survive when Earth was frozen over? Scientists say tiny meltwater ponds on ancient ice may have been the ...

While Earth's slowdown is not noticeable on human timescales, ... microbial mats can be found that are thought to be an analog of the cyanobacteria responsible for the Great Oxidation Event.

If verified, these fossils would surpass 3.7-billion-year-old microbial mats found in Greenland as the oldest known traces of life. ... Among the oldest known fragments of Earth, ...