Marine biologists made a surprising discovery in 2002 when they found a unique species of worm that devours the bones of whale carcasses on the ocean floor. Ongoing research conducted off the coast of California has uncovered much more about these sea floor worm-based ecosystems, and the discoveries have provided more insight into the fossilization of vertebrate bones.

Twenty-five years ago, the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl in northern Ukraine melted down in a radiation-spewing catastrophe. The reactor was capped with tons of concrete and a wide surrounding area called the "exclusion zone" has until recently been deemed off-limits.

Scientists have believed that certain salt deposits are millions of years old. Live bacteria found within the deposits, however, are calling those age assignments into question. A new theory has been offered to explain how the bacteria could have remained alive for untold eons, but how well does it hold up?

Some biologists like to say that massive coral reefs represent more than 100,000 years of growth, supposedly nullifying the Bible's account of a world that is only thousands of years old. However, many known factors can affect coral reef growth rates. Now, a 50-year study of Caribbean coral reefs confirms the unpredictability of using such growth as a "clock."

Japanese scientists are hoping to clone a mammoth and effectively bring an extinct animal variety back to life. Such a feat would involve recovering high-quality DNA from the frozen tissue of a mammoth carcass and then inserting it into an egg and placing it in the womb of a living elephant. Is this plan realistic?