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At Phys.org: Ancient source of oxygen for life hidden deep in the Earth’s crust

Scientists at Newcastle University have uncovered a source of oxygen that may have influenced the evolution of life before the advent of photosynthesis. The pioneering research project, led by Newcastle University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences and published today in Nature Communications, uncovered a mechanism that can generate hydrogen peroxide from rocks during the movement of geological faults. While in high concentrations hydrogen peroxide can be harmful to life, it can also provide a useful source of oxygen to microbes. This additional source of oxygen may have influenced the early evolution, and feasibly even origin, of life in hot environments on the early Earth prior to the evolution of photosynthesis. In tectonically active regions, the movement of the Earth’s crust not only generates earthquakes but riddles the Read More ›

At Phys.org: To keep up with evolving prey, rattlesnakes tap genetically diverse venom toolbox

University of Colorado at Boulder: "This research overturns decades of thought on what factors shape venom gene evolution and venom variation, and sheds new light on why developing effective antivenom treatments for snakebites remains so challenging." Read More ›

Found: The ‘holy grail of catalysis’—turning methane into methanol under ambient conditions using light

An international team of researchers has developed a fast and economical method of converting methane, or natural gas, into liquid methanol at ambient temperature and pressure. Read More ›

At Phys.org: Chinese fossils show human middle ear evolved from fish gills

Researchers: Embryonic and fossil evidence proves that the human middle ear evolved from the spiracle of fishes. However, the origin of the vertebrate spiracle has long been an unsolved mystery in vertebrate evolution. EH: It seems that evolutionists have a much softer definition of what amounts to proof than in other fields of science. Read More ›