The origin of life is still one of humankind's great mysteries. At the transition between
nonliving and living matter, protocells, initially featureless aggregates of abiotic matter, gain …

Fossilized lipids preserved in sedimentary rocks offer singular insights into the Earth's
palaeobiology. These 'biomarkers' encode information pertaining to the oxygenation of the …

Earth has been habitable for 4.3 billion years, and the earliest rock record indicates the
presence of a microbial biosphere by at least 3.4 billion years ago—and disputably earlier …

Abstract The Archean era (4 to 2.5 billion years ago, Ga) yielded rocks that include the
oldest conclusive traces of life as well as many controversial occurrences. Carbonaceous …

Uncovers the Key Role Microbes Play in the Transformation of Oxidizable and Reducible
MineralsMany areas of geomicrobial processes are receiving serious attention from …

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has become an increasingly utilized tool in
biologically relevant studies. Of these, high lateral resolution methodologies using the …

The integration of fossils, phylogeny, and geochronology has resulted in an increasingly
well-resolved timetable of evolution. Life appears to have taken root before the earliest …

We present a quantitative model for sulfur isotope fractionation accompanying bacterial and
archaeal dissimilatory sulfate respiration. By incorporating independently available …

The discovery of the Archaea is a major scientific hallmark of the twentieth century. Since
then, important features of their cell biology, physiology, ecology, and diversity have been …

Abstract The Proterozoic Eon spans Earth's middle age during which many important
transitions occurred. These transitions include the oxygenation of the atmosphere …