The American Association for the Advancement of Science: Meteorites 'led to life on earth'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.LIFE on Earth began when giant meteorites from outer space crashed into a frozen planet, melting the oceans enough for the first life forms to emerge, scientists say.
A new view of the early history of the Earth suggests there was no carbon dioxide and so no greenhouse effect to warm the planet, resulting in the oceans being frozen to a depth of 300 metres.
Experts on the origin of life suggest that such an inhospitable environment, far from being a barrier to the formation of life, could have spawned the very organic ingredients necessary to generate the first organisms.
Jeffrey Bada, professor of marine chemistry at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, California, said there is no reason to believe that there was a greenhouse effect on the early Earth with carbon dioxide acting as a heat-trapping blanket that prevented the oceans from freezing. A carbon dioxide atmosphere would have been anathema to the prospect of primitive life forms evolving, he said.
'The dogma is that you have to have high carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to keep the Earth from freezing. What bothered me about this was that a carbon dioxide- rich atmosphere is the kiss of death for organic chemistry.'
A study he has just completed suggests that life on early Earth could still have thrived in a frozen world.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments