The curious minds at What If explore the profound conditions and evolutionary milestones that triggered the spark of Earth's very first primitive life forms.

Breakthrough Initiatives, the privately-funded space science programs founded by science and technology investor and philanthropist Yuri Milner, are funding a research study into the possibility of ...

In order for life to emerge both peptides and nucleic acids must have appeared under “prebiotic” conditions. Despite numerous efforts, the formation of these macromolecules without the help of modern ...

Electrical storms, rather than meteorites as scientists had previously thought, could have unlocked phosphorus necessary for the development of ancient life, according to a new study. New research ...

We humans have long viewed ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution. People label other species as "primitive" or "ancient" and use terms like "higher" and "lower" animals. This anthropocentric ...

Primitive life forms thrived on Mars around the same time prehistoric life was developing in Earth’s oceans — but the Red Planet’s denizens doomed themselves, a new study suggests. Mars’ ...

Primitive ponds may have provided a suitable environment for brewing up Earth's first life forms, more so than oceans, a new study finds. Researchers report that shallow bodies of water, on the order ...

NASA's Europa Clipper probe blasted off from Florida on Monday, bound for an icy moon of Jupiter to discover whether it has the ingredients to support life. Is there anywhere else in our solar system ...