Tag Archives: Ancient

A pair of new studies presented at the Joint Meeting of the Europlanet Science Congress and the Division for Planetary Science (EPSC-DPS) suggest the European Space Agency’s (ESA) upcoming Mars rover mission, Rosalind Franklin, may have better odds of detecting ancient organic material than previously realized. It all comes down to natural processes that occurred at the rover’s landing site: …

Scientists have discovered prehistoric insects preserved in amber for the first time in South America, providing a fresh glimpse into life on Earth at a time when flowering plants were just beginning to diversify and spread around the world. Many of the specimens found at a sandstone quarry in Ecuador date to 112 million years ago, said Fabiany Herrera, curator …

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists have discovered prehistoric insects preserved in amber for the first time in South America, providing a fresh glimpse into life on Earth at a time when flowering plants were just beginning to diversify and spread around the world. Many of the specimens found at a sandstone quarry in Ecuador date to 112 million years ago, said …

Did NASA Find Signs of Ancient Life on Mars—or Is It Another False Alarm?  The Wall Street Journal In a Rock on Mars, NASA Sees ‘Clearest Sign of Life’ So Far  The New York Times Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars  Nature NASA Says Mars Rover Discovered Potential Biosignature Last Year  NASA (.gov) NASA has found a Martian rock with what …

IN A NUTSHELL 🗺️ New research reveals Earth’s continents began forming billions of years earlier than previously believed. 🔬 Scientists used ancient crystal chemistry and advanced geodynamic models to uncover these insights. 🌋 The study highlights early tectonic activity, including episodic subduction driven by mantle plumes. 🌍 Early formation of continental crust impacts our understanding of Earth’s climate and the …

The parent world of asteroid Ryugu, the space rock visited by the Japanese mission Hayabusa2, had flowing water for over a billion years. This was not at all expected when the spacecraft collected and brought back the sample, and it adds to the record of evidence that suggests a much more peculiar early Solar System. The rest of this article …

IN A NUTSHELL ✨ Recent research challenges the notion that the universe’s first stars were exclusively massive, suggesting more diverse masses. 💫 Studies reveal that turbulence and molecular coolants in early gas clouds could have led to the formation of lower-mass stars. 🔬 Helium hydride, the universe’s first molecule, played a crucial role in cooling gas clouds, enabling the formation …

A number of ancient tunnels which were discovered in South America have been found not to come from humans. You may think nothing of it, but the fact that they’re about 1.8 metres in height and about 600 metres in length may grab your attention. These tunnels have been found in souther Brazil, particularly the Grande do Sul region, originally …

The Falkland Islands are known today for cool winds, broad grasslands, and very few trees. That modern picture is accurate, but it is not the whole story. Pollen found beneath the capital shows these islands once supported a cool-temperate forest – wet, shaded, and biologically rich. The clue came from a dark, woody layer uncovered during construction in Stanley. It …

IN A NUTSHELL 🔭 Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope found a pattern in the rotational direction of ancient galaxies. 🌀 Approximately 60% of these galaxies rotate clockwise, challenging previous beliefs about galactic rotations. 🌌 A hypothesis suggests our universe might be trapped within a massive black hole, reshaping cosmic understanding. 🔍 Alternative explanations consider observational bias, such as …