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Sciworthy

The Encyclopedia of Science's Frontier

Home » Big Questions » What happened in Earth’s past?

Category: What happened in Earth’s past?

What was the Earth like a long time ago? What have archaeologists found? What was it like before life started? How did life come to be?
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When did freshwater appear on Earth?

Posted on July 28, 2025July 28, 2025 by Sciworthy

Geologists found chemical ratios in ancient minerals that suggested Earth had freshwater 550 million years after it formed.

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    A new treasure trove of Cambrian fossils

    Posted on July 10, 2025July 10, 2025 by Sciworthy

    Paleontologists discovered a new set of fossils from the ancient ancestors of animals in rocks from China.

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      Is Earth safe from nearby exploding stars?

      Posted on July 7, 2025July 8, 2025 by Aubrey Zerkle

      Scientists used an Earth system model to test how radiation from a nearby supernova would affect life on our planet. They found that the…

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        Volcanism warmed past Earth

        Posted on June 23, 2025June 26, 2025 by Sciworthy

        Geologists dated a global warming event about 180 million years ago. They found it lasted between 169,000 and 417,000 years and was linked…

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          How complex plants reshaped the oceans

          Posted on May 15, 2025June 25, 2025 by Sciworthy

          Researchers found that when complex plants evolved, they increased ocean oxygen and massively restructured the marine ecosystem.

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            Bat hanging upside down in a cave
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            Bat poop corrodes cave formations

            Posted on April 17, 2025June 25, 2025 by Sciworthy

            Scientists found that bat droppings, microorganisms, and dripping water combine to dissolve cave formations in Slovakia and Poland.

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              Lightning reacts with minerals to create the building blocks of life

              Posted on October 10, 2024June 26, 2025 by Meri Herrero

              Scientists stimulated atmospheric gases with electricity and found they reacted with common salts and minerals to form complex chemicals…

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                When did the Galápagos tortoises become giant?

                Posted on October 3, 2024June 25, 2025 by Aubrey Zerkle

                Researchers analyzed new fossils from Ecuador that suggested the ancestors of Galápagos giant tortoises inhabited northern South America…

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                  How complex life arose under extreme stress

                  Posted on August 12, 2024June 26, 2025 by Meri Herrero

                  Scientists discovered molecules that helped the first complex life forms build strong cell membranes to withstand extreme environments.

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                    mountain ranges during nighttime
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                    Remains of the Moon could be lurking inside Earth

                    Posted on July 1, 2024June 26, 2025 by Sciworthy

                    Scientists used models to test whether remnants of the moon-forming impactor, Theia, are present deep within the Earth.

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                      Artist's impression of the planetary system around the red dwarf Gliese 581. Credit: ESO

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