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Topic · Astronomy and Astrophysics

Origins and Evolution of Life

Origins and Evolution of Life is a research topic within Astronomy and Astrophysics. Science Explorer counts 14k research works in it since 1950. 17.8% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.

This cluster of papers explores the origin of life and prebiotic chemistry, focusing on topics such as the RNA World, prebiotic chemistry in hydrothermal vents, the emergence of chirality, the formation of protocells, early metabolism, and the conditions on early Earth. It also delves into autocatalytic processes, nucleic acid synthesis, and astrobiology.

  • RNA World
  • Prebiotic Chemistry
  • Hydrothermal Vents
  • Chirality
  • Protocells
  • Metabolism
  • Nucleic Acids
  • Early Earth
  • Autocatalysis
  • Astrobiology
Research works
14k
fractional, since 1950
In the world top 10%
2.5k
per year above
Top-10% rate
17.8%
share of its works in the world top 10%
Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
-2%
the tick is no change

Which countries lead Origins and Evolution of Life research?

By volume, the United States and Germany publish the most (430 and 133 works in 2022–2025).

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 United States 430 works
  2. 2 Germany 133 works
  3. 3 United Kingdom 122 works
  4. 4 France 110 works
  5. 5 China 97 works
  6. 6 Japan 93 works
  7. 7 Italy 75 works
  8. 8 Spain 55 works
  9. 9 India 53 works
  10. 10 Russia 50 works

How concentrated that is

The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.

United States: 35.3%Germany: 10.9%United Kingdom: 10.0%France: 9.0%6 others listed: 34.9%35%largest
United States430 · 35.3%Germany133 · 10.9%United Kingdom122 · 10.0%France110 · 9.0%6 others listed425 · 34.9%

Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.

Which institutions lead Origins and Evolution of Life research?

By volume in 2022–2025, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique publishes the most Origins and Evolution of Life research, followed by Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueFrance 17 works
  2. 2 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMexico 13 works
  3. 3 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenGermany 13 works
  4. 4 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom 13 works
  5. 5 University of California, Los AngelesUnited States 11 works
  6. 6 Lumen (United Kingdom)United Kingdom 10 works
  7. 7 University of OxfordUnited Kingdom 9 works
  8. 8 Texas Tech UniversityUnited States 8 works
  9. 9 Universität HamburgGermany 8 works
  10. 10 University of Wisconsin–MadisonUnited States 8 works

Where is Origins and Evolution of Life research done?

The largest centres of Origins and Evolution of Life research in 2022–2025 are Paris (France), London (United Kingdom), Tokyo (Japan) and Moscow (Russia).

Largest cities, 2022–2025

  1. 1 Paris France 46 works
  2. 2 London United Kingdom 32 works
  3. 3 Tokyo Japan 31 works
  4. 4 Moscow Russia 27 works
  5. 5 Munich Germany 23 works
  6. 6 Beijing China 19 works
  7. 7 Seattle United States 19 works
  8. 8 Cambridge United Kingdom 18 works
  9. 9 New York United States 15 works
  10. 10 Los Angeles United States 15 works
See Origins and Evolution of Life on the map

Where is the best place to study Origins and Evolution of Life?

Among universities, judged by research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, University of Cambridge and University of California, Los Angeles score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.

0%20%40%mean 20.45%fractional works in this node (log) →share in the world top 10% →Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München: 13, 24.4%University of Cambridge: 13, 22.1%University of California, Los Angeles: 11, 14.8%University of Oxford: 9, 34.7%Texas Tech University: 8, 18.2%Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México: 13, 8.5%University of OxfordLudwig-Maximilians-U…University of Cambri…University of Califo…
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.

#UniversityScoreTop 10%SpecialisationWorksGrowth
1 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenGermany 79.724.4%13.2×13 +22.0%
2 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom 52.022.1%7.4×13 -41.0%
3 University of California, Los AngelesUnited States 51.414.8%7.6×11 +10.2%
4 University of OxfordUnited Kingdom 49.734.7%4.3×9 +3.6%
5 Texas Tech UniversityUnited States 49.418.2%12.8×8 —
6 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMexico 49.18.5%8.6×13 -10.5%

Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.

Is Origins and Evolution of Life research growing?

Output in 2018–2022 was 2% lower than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2026. The fastest-growing topics are Origins and Evolution of Life.

19801990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Which topics inside it are moving

Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.