Genomic studies consistently show that all life on Earth is related, but our earliest ancestors may not have evolved in the same way we do now. Some evidence suggests that early evolution may have been based on a collective sharing of genes. A group of researchers are now searching for clear genetic vestiges from this communal ancestry.

Nigel Goldenfeld of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is leading the new NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) team. With their work, they aim to provide a clearer understanding of the early stages of life’s evolution on Earth.