Rather than a constant upward trajectory of evolution, it’s been billions of years of boom-and-bust cycles – first an explosion of life, and then a mass extinction of all but the most hardy hangers-on ...

Shell-rich rocks trace a mostly upward climb in ocean life, with each mass extinction slashing both diversity and biomass ...

A new study of ancient fossil trails pushes the origins of complex life deeper into Earth’s history, before the Cambrian Period began.

Stanford study shows ocean biomass has risen over 540 million years, linking biodiversity to long-term ecosystem health.

A groundbreaking study suggests that the famous Cambrian explosion—the dramatic burst of diverse animal life—might have actually started millions of years earlier than we thought. By analyzing ancient ...