New evidence from rocks, molecules and machine learning is forcing scientists to redraw the opening chapters of Earth’s story, pushing the first stirrings of biology far closer to the planet’s violent ...

Scientists have pushed back LUCA’s origin by hundreds of millions of years.

When scientists look to the skies for clues about life's origins, water is one of the first things they seek. Life, as it's understood today, requires water, making its cosmic origins a significant ...

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 ...