
How the Sahara Was Born
Ancient dust on nearby islands hides secrets of the desert’s origins

How the Sahara Was Born
Ancient dust on nearby islands hides secrets of the desert’s origins

Geologists Solve Mystery of Nepal's “Earthquake Gap”
One of Nepal’s major faults appeared worrisomely silent—but new evidence suggests otherwise

Prehistoric Whodunit: New Technique Identifies What Killed Ancient Animals
Characteristic etchings on ancient prey bones reveal the animal that digested them

Coral Reefugees: Certain Corals Could “Outrun” Climate Change
New evidence suggests that corals once sought refuge from warming waters by migrating

The Search for ET May Be Missing Life on Low-Oxygen Worlds
Microbes thrived on ancient Earth, even with very little oxygen

“Death Masks” Reveal How Earliest Complex Organisms Became Fossils
A new experiment suggests our picture of the so-called Ediacarans may be incomplete

Oxygen Depletion Smothered Marine Life in Earth's Largest Mass Extinction
New findings suggest oxygen diminished globally

Mysterious Insect Fossil Gap Explained
A lack of diverse, winged hexapods—not low oxygen levels—could explain the gap in the fossil record