Seeing Deep History — and Deep Space — in Deep Sea Vents
Life on Earth first formed near deep-sea vents, not shallow pools, new research reveals. The basic idea is not new, but the origin of life is one step closer to being understood, a new investigation from University College London reveals.
A new study from the University College London (UCL) suggests that life on Earth may have developed from the odd chemistry surrounding deep sea vents. This finding could also offer a new look at how life might develop on other worlds.
Life first developed on Earth not long after our world solidified and the first ocean(s) formed. Estimates for the first appearance of life on Earth range from roughly 3.8 billion to more than 4.3 billion years before our time. By comparison, our home world is thought to be be just 4.54 billion years old, and the oceans formed 4.4 billion years ago.
Scientific ideas about the development of life on Earth traditionally postulated that the first stirrings of life began in shallow pools on the land, where the Sun could provide energy needed to drive chemical reactions. In recent years, many researchers have developed the theory that heat and chemicals delivered by deep sea vents on ocean floors may have provided the conditions needed to spark life on Earth. However, many experiments have come up short of proving the idea.
