Around 410 million years ago terrestrial life was relatively simple. There were no forests or prairies—land was largely dominated by slimy microbial mats. The types of plants that would eventually ...

Plant biology has long recognized the significance of surface lipid barriers—namely cuticles and suberin—as fundamental adaptations for terrestrial life.

A new study reveals that a region in China's Turpan-Hami Basin served as a refugium, or "Life oasis" for terrestrial plants during the end-Permian mass extinction, the most severe biological crisis ...

About 252 million years ago, 80 to 90 percent of life on Earth was wiped out. In the Turpan-Hami Basin, life persisted and bounced back faster. By Laura Baisas ...

A recent study from researchers at the University of Toulouse has revealed a fascinating insight into the origins of life on land. The study, published in Science, highlights how a gene transfer ...

Plants are quietly absorbing microplastics from soil and air, and those particles can work their way into our food and ecosystems, according to a new review by researchers at Nankai University in ...

Thanks to a recent discovery regarding marine algae, scientists have developed crop plants that absorb a fuller spectrum of sunlight, resulting in better growth. The finding could also lead to ...

A new climate modeling study presents a new scenario of how climate and life on our planet would change in response to a potential future strike of a medium-sized (~500 m) asteroid. A new climate ...