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Life on earth 'began on Mars'. (Guardian)
Geochemist argues that seeds of life originated on Mars
and were blasted to Earth by meteorites or volcanoes
Geochemist argues that seeds of life originated on Mars
and were blasted to Earth by meteorites or volcanoes
the rest at the link aboveEvidence is mounting that life on Earth may have started on Mars. A leading scientist has claimed that one particular element believed to be crucial to the origin of life would only have been available on the surface of the red planet.
Professor Steven Benner, a geochemist, has argued that the "seeds" of life probably arrived on Earth in meteorites blasted off Mars by impacts or volcanic eruptions. As evidence, he points to the oxidised mineral form of the element molybdenum, thought to be a catalyst that helped organic molecules develop into the first living structures.
"It's only when molybdenum becomes highly oxidised that it is able to influence how early life formed," said Benner, of the Westheimer Institute for Science and Technology in the US. "This form of molybdenum couldn't have been available on Earth at the time life first began...."
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