ScienceDaily: Origin of Life News

Why early human ancestors took to two feet

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:40:40 EDT

A new study by archaeologists challenges evolutionary theories behind the development of our earliest ancestors from tree dwelling quadrupeds to upright bipeds capable of walking and scrambling.

Scientists offer first definitive proof of bacteria-feeding behavior in green algae

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:37:37 EDT

Researchers have captured images of green alga consuming bacteria, offering a glimpse at how early organisms dating back more than 1 billion years may have acquired free-living photosynthetic cells. This acquisition is thought to be a critical first step in the evolution of photosynthetic algae and land plants, which, in turn, contributed to the increase in oxygen levels in Earth's atmosphere and ocean and provided one of the conditions necessary for animal evolution.

What the smallest infectious agents reveal about evolution

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:46:46 EDT

Radically different viruses share genes and are likely to share ancestry, according to new research. The comprehensive phylogenomic analysis compares giant viruses that infect amoeba with tiny viruses known as virophages and to several groups of transposable elements. The complex network of evolutionary relationships the authors describe suggests that viruses evolved from non-viral mobile genetic elements and vice versa, on more than one occasion.

'Whodunnit' of Irish potato famine solved

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:12:12 EDT

An international team of scientists reveals that a unique strain of potato blight they call HERB-1 triggered the Irish potato famine of the mid-19th century.

Origins of life: In early Earth, iron helped RNA catalyze electron transfer

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:56:56 EDT

A new study shows how complex biochemical transformations may have been possible under conditions that existed when life began on the early Earth. The study shows that RNA is capable of catalyzing electron transfer under conditions similar to those of the early Earth.

Agriculture in China predates domesticated rice: Discovery of ancient diet shatters conventional ideas of how agriculture emerged

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:57:57 EDT

Archaeologists have made a discovery in southern subtropical China which could revolutionize thinking about how ancient humans lived in the region. They have uncovered evidence for the first time that people living in Xincun 5,000 years ago may have practiced agriculture -- before the arrival of domesticated rice in the region.

Billion-year-old water could hold clues to life on Earth and Mars

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:15:15 EDT

Scientists have discovered ancient pockets of water, which have been isolated deep underground for billions of years and contain abundant chemicals known to support life. This water could be some of the oldest on the planet and may even contain life. Not just that, but the similarity between the rocks that trapped it and those on Mars raises the hope that comparable life-sustaining water could lie buried beneath the Red Planet's surface.

Untangling the tree of life

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:48:48 EDT

Phylogeneticists examined the reasons why large-scale tree-of-life studies are producing contradictory results and have proposed a suite of novel techniques to resolve the conflicts.

From ocean to land: The fishy origins of our hips

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:15:15 EDT

New research has revealed that the evolution of the complex, weight-bearing hips of walking animals from the basic hips of fish was a much simpler process than previously thought.

Justinianic Plague was caused by bacterium Yersinia pestis, DNA of skeletal remains shows

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:54:54 EDT

Ancient DNA analyses of skeletal remains of plague victims from the 6th century AD provide information about the phylogeny and the place of origin of this pandemic.

Cannibal tadpoles key to understanding digestive evolution

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:18:18 EDT

A carnivorous, cannibalistic tadpole may play a role in understanding the evolution and development of digestive organs, according to new research.

First biological evidence of a supernova

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:30:30 EDT

In fossil remnants of bacteria, researchers have found a radioactive iron isotope that they trace back to a supernova in our cosmic neighborhood. This is the first proven biological signature of a starburst. An age determination showed that the supernova must have occurred about 2.2 million years ago, roughly around the time when the modern human developed.

Genes show one big European family

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:56:56 EDT

From Ireland to the Balkans, Europeans are basically one big family, closely related to one another for the past thousand years, according to a new study of the DNA of people from across the continent.

3-D simulation shows how form of complex organs evolves by natural selection

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:45:45 EDT

Researchers have developed the first three-dimensional simulation of the evolution of morphology by integrating the mechanisms of genetic regulation that take place during embryo development. The study highlights the real complexity of the genetic interactions that lead to adult organisms' phenotypes (physical forms), helps to explain how natural selection influences body form and leads towards much more realistic virtual experiments on evolution.

Fossil of great ape sheds light on evolution

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:21:21 EDT

An integrative anatomy expert says the shape of an 11.8-million-year-old specimen's pelvis indicates that it lived near the beginning of the great ape evolution, after the lesser apes had started to develop separately but before the great ape species began to diversify.

First snapshot of organisms eating each other: Feast clue to smell of ancient Earth

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:41:41 EDT

Tiny 1,900-million-year-old fossils from rocks around Lake Superior, Canada, give the first ever snapshot of organisms eating each other and suggest what the ancient Earth would have smelled like.

Ancient DNA reveals Europe's dynamic genetic history

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:40:40 EDT

Ancient DNA recovered from a series of skeletons in central Germany up to 7,500 years old has been used to reconstruct the first detailed genetic history of modern Europe.

Iron in primeval seas rusted by bacteria

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:07:07 EDT

Researchers have been able to show for the first time how microorganisms contributed to the formation of the world's biggest iron ore deposits. The biggest known deposits -- in South Africa and Australia -- are geological formations billions of years old. They are mainly composed of iron oxides -- minerals we know from the rusting process. These iron ores not only make up most of the world demand for iron -- the formations also help us to better understand the evolution of the atmosphere and climate, and provide important information on the activity of microorganisms in the early history of life on Earth.

Something's fishy in the tree of life: Largest and most comprehensive studies of fish phylogeny

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:26:26 EDT

A team of scientists has dramatically increased our understanding of fish evolution and their relationships. The group integrated extensive genetic and physical information about specimens to create a new "tree of life" for fishes. The vast amount of data generated through large-scale DNA sequencing required supercomputing resources for analysis. The result is the largest and most comprehensive studies of fish phylogeny to date.

Surprising new function for small RNAs in evolution

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:59:59 EDT

Scientists have discovered a completely new mechanism by which evolution can change the appearance of an organism. The researchers found that the number of hairs on flies’ legs varies according to the level of activity of a so-called microRNA. The results shed a completely new light on the molecular mechanisms of evolution.

Sea-ice ecosystem possibly triggered evolution of baleen whales and penguins

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:23:23 EDT

The origin of the unique plankton ecosystem of the circum-Antarctic Southern Ocean can be traced back to the emergence of the Antarctic ice sheets approximately 33.6 million years ago. This discovery shows that the development of the sea-ice ecosystem possibly triggered further adaptation and evolution of larger organisms such as baleen whales and penguins.

Evolving genes lead to evolving genes: Selection in European populations of genes regulated by FOXP2

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:49:49 EDT

Researchers have designed a method that can universally test for evolutionary adaption, or positive (Darwinian) selection, in any chosen set of genes, using re-sequencing data such as that generated by the 1000 Genomes Project. The method identifies gene sets that show evidence for positive selection in comparison with matched controls, and thus highlights genes for further functional studies.

Coelacanth genome surfaces: Unexpected insights from a fish with a 300-million-year-old fossil record

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:18:18 EDT

An international team of researchers has decoded the genome of the African coelacanth. The species was once thought to be extinct, but a living coelacanth was discovered off the African coast in 1938. Coelacanths today closely resemble the fossilized skeletons of their more than 300-million-year-old ancestors. Its genome confirms what many researchers had long suspected: genes in coelacanths are evolving more slowly than in other organisms.

Unusual anal fin offers new insight into evolution

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:22:22 EDT

An unusual fossil fish that has fins behind its anus could have implications for human evolution.

How life may have first emerged on Earth: Foldable proteins in a high-salt environment

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:40:40 EDT

Scientists may be a step closer to understanding how life first emerged on Earth billions of years ago. Researchers have produced data supporting the idea that 10 amino acids believed to exist on Earth around 4 billion years ago were capable of forming foldable proteins in a high-salt (halophile) environment. Such proteins would have been capable of providing metabolic activity for the first living organisms to emerge on the planet between 3.5 and 3.9 billion years ago.

Origin of life: Power behind primordial soup discovered

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:22:22 EDT

Researchers may have solved a key puzzle about how objects from space could have kindled life on Earth.

Ancient pool of warm water questions current climate models

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:13:13 EDT

A huge pool of warm water that stretched out from Indonesia over to Africa and South America four million years ago suggests climate models might be too conservative in forecasting tropical changes. Present in the Pliocene era, this giant mass of water would have dramatically altered rainfall in the tropics, possibly even removing the monsoon. Its decay and the consequential drying of East Africa may have been a factor in Hominid evolution. The missing data for this phenomenon could have significant implications when predicting the future climate.

Ancient climate questions could improve today's climate predictions

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:13:13 EDT

Climate models for the early Pliocene might be missing key processes. If researchers can uncover these missing processes, they can apply them to models of modern climate and improve future climate predictions.

Diversification in ancient tadpole shrimps challenges the term 'living fossil'

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:16:16 EDT

The term 'living fossil' has a controversial history. For decades, scientists have argued about its usefulness as it appears to suggest that some organisms have stopped evolving. New research has now investigated the origin of tadpole shrimps, a group commonly regarded as 'living fossils' which includes the familiar Triops. The research reveals that living species of tadpole shrimp are much younger than the fossils they so much resemble, calling into question the term 'living fossil'.

New clues in the search to rediscover the mysterious Maya Blue formula

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:11:11 EDT

The recipe and process for preparing Maya Blue, a highly-resistant pigment used for centuries in Mesoamerica, were lost. We know that the ingredients are a plant dye, indigo, and a type of clay known as palygorskite, but scientists do not know how they were 'cooked' and combined together. Now, a team of chemists has come up with a new hypothesis about how it was prepared.

How microbes survive at bare minimum: Archaea eat protein

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:32:32 EDT

Beneath the ocean floor is a desolate place with no oxygen and sunlight. Yet microbes have thrived in this environment for millions of years. Scientists have puzzled over how these microbes survive, but today there are more answers.

Controversial worm keeps its position as progenitor of humankind

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:30:30 EDT

Researchers are arguing about whether or not the Xenoturbella bocki worm is the progenitor of humankind. But new studies indicate that this is actually the case.

First migration from Africa less than 95,000 years ago: Ancient hunter-gatherer DNA challenges theory of early out-of-Africa migrations

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:48:48 EDT

Recent measurements of the rate at which children show DNA changes not seen in their parents -- the "mutation rate" -- have challenged views about major dates in human evolution. In particular these measurements have made geneticists think again about key dates in human evolution, like when modern non-Africans split from modern Africans. The recent measurements push back the best estimates of these dates by up to a factor of two. Now, however scientists present results that point again to the more recent dates.

Enzymes allow DNA to swap information with exotic molecules

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:19:19 EDT

Scientists have been hunting for a biological Rosetta Stone -- an enzyme allowing DNA's four-letter language to be written into a simpler (and potentially more ancient) molecule that may have existed as a genetic pathway to DNA and RNA in the prebiotic world. Research results demonstrate that DNA sequences can be transcribed into a molecule known as TNA and reverse transcribed back into DNA, with the aid of commercially available enzymes.

Roman mausoleum tested for ancient earthquake damage

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:52:52 EDT

A Roman mausoleum was knocked off-kilter, and the likely cause was an earthquake, according to a new detailed model.

Why red algae never colonized dry land

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:50:50 EDT

The first red alga genome has just been sequenced. The genome of Chondrus crispus, also known by the Breton name 'pioka', turns out to be small and compact for a multicellular organism. It has fewer genes than several other species of unicellular algae, which raises a number of questions about the evolution of red algae. This low number of genes could explain why these organisms never colonized dry land, unlike their green counterparts-from which all terrestrial plants are descended.

Oxygen-poor 'boring' ocean challenged evolution of early life

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:15:15 EDT

Biogeochemists have filled in a billion-year gap in our understanding of conditions in the early ocean during a critical time in life's history on Earth. During the period 1.8 to 0.8 billion years ago, oxygen likely remained low in the atmosphere and ocean, with marine life dominated by bacteria. The ocean was oxygen-free and iron-rich in the deepest waters and hydrogen sulfide-containing over limited regions on the ocean margins.

One gene, many mutations: Key that controls coat color in mice evolved nine times

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:03:03 EDT

Scientists have shown that changes in coat color in mice are the result not of a single mutation, but many separate mutations, all within a single gene. The results start to answer one of the fundamental questions about evolution: does evolution proceed by huge leaps -- single mutations that result in dramatic change in an organism -- or is it the result of many smaller changes that accumulate over time?

DNA study clarifies how polar bears and brown bears are related

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:56:56 EDT

A new genetic study of polar bears and brown bears upends prevailing ideas about the evolutionary history of the two species.

Strange spaghetti-shaped creature is missing link: Discovery pushes fossil record back 200 million years

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:25:25 EDT

Canada's 505 million year-old Burgess Shale fossil beds, located in Yoho National Park, have yielded yet another major scientific discovery -- this time with the unearthing of a strange phallus-shaped creature.

Untangling life's origins

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:16:16 EDT

Researchers have been using bioinformatics techniques to probe the world of proteins for answers to questions about the origins of life.

Light shed on ancient origin of life

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:06:06 EST

Researchers discovered important genetic clues about the history of microorganisms called archaea and the origins of life itself in the first ever study of its kind. Results of their study shed light on one of Earth's oldest life forms.

Siberian fossil revealed to be one of the oldest known domestic dogs

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:11:11 EST

Analysis of DNA extracted from a fossil tooth recovered in southern Siberia confirms that the tooth belonged to one of the oldest known ancestors of the modern dog.

Human Y chromosome much older than previously thought

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:58:58 EST

The discovery and analysis of an extremely rare African American Y chromosome push back the time of the most recent common ancestor for the Y chromosome lineage tree to 338,000 years ago. This time predates the age of the oldest known anatomically modern human fossils.

New evidence that comets could have seeded life on Earth

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:14:14 EST

Scientists have shown that complex molecules can form on icy dust in space, suggesting that comets may have brought these molecules to Earth and seeded the growth of more complex building blocks of life. The team zapped icy snowballs of carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons, producing complex molecules, such as dipeptides, that are capable of catalyzing the formation of more complex structures.

Ancient DNA solves 320-year-old mystery: Origins of now extinct Falkland Islands wolf

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:04:04 EST

Researchers have found the answer to one of natural history's most intriguing puzzles -- the origins of the now extinct Falkland Islands wolf and how it came to be the only land-based mammal on the isolated islands -- 460 kilometers from the nearest land, Argentina.

How did early primordial cells evolve?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 EST

New research on bacteria examines how primordial cells could have evolved without protein machinery or cell walls. While the vast majority of bacteria have cell walls, many bacteria can switch to a wall-free existence called the L-form state, which could mirror the structure of primordial cells. A new study reveals how bacteria in this L-form state divide and proliferate, shedding light on how the earliest forms of cellular life may have replicated.

Toxic oceans may have delayed spread of complex life

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:34 EST

A new model suggests that inhospitable hydrodgen-sulfide rich waters could have delayed the spread of complex life forms in ancient oceans. The research considers the composition of the oceans 550-700 million years ago and shows that oxygen-poor toxic conditions, which may have delayed the establishment of complex life, were controlled by the biological availability of nitrogen.

Feeding limbs and nervous system of one of Earth's earliest animals discovered

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:44:44 EST

Unique fossils literally 'lift the lid' on ancient creature's head to expose one of the earliest examples of food manipulating limbs in evolutionary history, dating from around 530 million years ago.

Resurrection of 3-billion-year-old antibiotic-resistance proteins

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:20:20 EST

Scientists are reporting "laboratory resurrections" of several 2-3-billion-year-old proteins that are ancient ancestors of the enzymes that enable today's antibiotic-resistant bacteria to shrug off huge doses of penicillins, cephalosporins and other modern drugs. The achievement opens the door to a scientific "replay" of the evolution of antibiotic resistance with an eye to finding new ways to cope with the problem.

Evolution and the ice age

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:52:52 EST

Scientists are discovering how the evolution of ecosystems has to be taken into account when speculating between different geological eras. Go back to the time of the dinosaurs or to the single-celled organisms at the origins of life, and it is obvious that ecosystems existing more than 65 million years ago and around four billion years ago cannot be simply surmised from those of today.

Molecules assemble in water, hint at origins of life

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:33:33 EST

Researchers are exploring an alternate theory for the origin of RNA: they think the RNA bases may have evolved from a pair of molecules distinct from the bases we have today. This theory looks increasingly attractive, as researchers were able to achieve efficient, highly ordered self-assembly in water with small molecules that are similar to the bases of RNA.

Ancient 'Egyptian blue' pigment points to new telecommunications, security ink technology

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:39:39 EST

A bright blue pigment used 5,000 years ago is giving modern scientists clues toward the development of new nanomaterials with potential uses in state-of-the-art medical imaging devices, remote controls for televisions, security inks and other technology.

Ancient fossilized sea creatures yield oldest biomolecules isolated directly from a fossil

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:41:41 EST

Though scientists have long believed that complex organic molecules couldn’t survive fossilization, some 350-million-year-old remains of aquatic sea creatures uncovered in Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa have challenged that assumption.

Ancient teeth bacteria record disease evolution

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:41:41 EST

DNA preserved in calcified bacteria on the teeth of ancient human skeletons has shed light on the health consequences of the evolving diet and behavior from the Stone Age to the modern day.

Humans and chimps share genetic strategy in battle against pathogens

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:16:16 EST

A search for long-lived balancing selection has found at least six regions of the genome where humans and chimpanzees share a combination of genetic variants. These human genetic variation dates back to a common ancestor with chimpanzees millions of years ago, before the species split.

Studies reveal genetic variation driving human evolution

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:39:39 EST

A pair of studies sheds new light on genetic variation that may have played a key role in human evolution. The study researchers used an animal model to study a gene variant that could have helped humans adapt to humid climates, and they used whole-genome sequence data to identify hundreds of gene variants that potentially helped humans adapt to changing environmental conditions over time.

Computerized 'Rosetta Stone' reconstructs ancient languages

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:22:22 EST

Researchers have used a sophisticated new computer system to quickly reconstruct protolanguages -- the rudimentary ancient tongues from which modern languages evolved.

Most comprehensive tree of life shows placental mammal diversity exploded after age of dinosaurs

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:14:14 EST

Scientists have generated the most comprehensive tree of life to date on placental mammals, which are those bearing live young, including bats, rodents, whales and humans.

Largest-ever study of mammalian ancestry completed

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:14:14 EST

A groundbreaking six-year research collaboration has produced the most complete picture yet of the evolution of placental mammals, the group that includes humans. Researchers utilizes molecular (DNA) and morphological (anatomy) data on an extraordinary scale. By combining these two types of data scientists reconstructed, to an unprecedented level of detail, the family tree of placental mammals.