The origin of life on Earth may have been here all along

The origin of life on Earth has always been a mystery. For many years, scientists looked to the stars, believing that the building blocks of life that determined evolution here on our planet came from an asteroid, comet, or meteorite. But now, some scientists say the true origins of life on Earth may have been here on Earth all along.

a New paper Subscribed to Advancement of scienceIn addition to a new article published on ConversationIt begs the question: “What if the origin of life on our planet was here all along?” It’s an interesting way to learn where life began on our planet, and the researchers involved say the elements that made life possible – called volatiles – could have been present on Earth from the beginning.

Several elements are considered volatile, including carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and a group of elements that researchers call chalcogens. All of these volatiles, which also include sulfur, selenium, and tellurium, evaporate more easily than other elements. And understanding how they made their way to Earth could help us understand the origin of life on Earth, too.

It is the most prevalent theory known as Late cortex theoryHe says that the Earth was first formed from low-volatile materials. However, higher concentrations of volatiles began to appear after volatile-rich objects (meteorites, comets, asteroids) began striking the planet’s surface, allowing it to fully form.

But the problem with this theory is that these bodies rich in volatile materials make up only about half a percent of the Earth’s mass. As such, most of these elements would not arrive until some time after the Earth’s core formed. On the other hand, the new research says that Earth had these volatiles on its own, and that the essential elements for life were here from the beginning, during the planet’s early formation.

The study also appears to be consistent with a study tracing the origin of water on Earth, according to the researchers. It’s certainly an interesting idea and could provide further understanding of the origin of life on Earth as scientists continue to study it.