Life Came From Mars - New Study Suggests

[Username]

I couldn't decide if this belongs in the Biology & Genetics forums or the Chemistry forum so I placed it here. Hope that isn't a problem.

As I'm sure most of you may already know. A biochemist has made a hypothesis that life originated from mars and came to earth on a meteorite.

How plausible does this hypothesis seem? There are a lot of other planets in our solar system. Not only that, but how does life originate somewhere then hitch a ride on a meteorite to earth?

This is one source. Earth life likely came from Mars There are many others.

Thoughts about this?

 

[wegs]

I couldn't decide if this belongs in the Biology & Genetics forums or the Chemistry forum so I placed it here. Hope that isn't a problem.

As I'm sure most of you may already know. A biochemist has made a hypothesis that life originated from mars and came to earth on a meteorite.

How plausible does this hypothesis seem? There are a lot of other planets in our solar system. Not only that, but how does life originate somewhere then hitch a ride on a meteorite to earth?

This is one source. Earth life likely came from Mars There are many others.

Thoughts about this?

It sounds plausible...Here's another article, with a bit more detail...I took an excerpt from it that I thought was particularly interesting and points to the 'how' of it.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/aug/29/life-earth-originated-mars

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, because three billion years ago, the surface of the Earth had very little oxygen, but Mars did.

 

[Username]

It sounds plausible...Here's another article, with a bit more detail...I took an excerpt from it that I thought was particularly interesting and points to the 'how' of it.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/aug/29/life-earth-originated-mars

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, because three billion years ago, the surface of the Earth had very little oxygen, but Mars did.

I was hoping life was probed down to earth by a spacecraft or some other cosmic event in a faraway solar system or galaxy. I am open to the hypothesis that we are martians or aliens in the universe, but not from a neighboring body such as mars.

 

[wegs]

I was hoping life was probed down to earth by a spacecraft or some other cosmic event in a faraway solar system or galaxy. I am open to the hypothesis that we are martians or aliens in the universe, but not from a neighboring body such as mars.

Ah, I see. lol
Well...at any rate, "if" this is likely, it's pretty remarkable that life made its way to a planet most capable of sustaining it.
And has lasted this long.

Some interesting news is scientists recently discovered three planets that "could" host life and feel that earth isn't looking all that "unique" anymore.

To me, I'm more interested in where can we go from here?

 

[Username]

Ah, I see. lol
Well...at any rate, "if" this is likely, it's pretty remarkable that life made its way to a planet most capable of sustaining it.
And has lasted this long.

Some interesting news is scientists recently discovered three planets that "could" host life and feel that earth isn't looking all that "unique" anymore.

To me, I'm more interested in where can we go from here?

I agree. We must be like bacteria or a fungus that mother nature can't seem to fathom or get rid of.

Either way, I agree. I can't believe life has lived or lasted this long. The simple fact that we came from Neanderthals is crazy. How long would a newborn last if they weren't somewhat intelligent?

This hypothesis would apparently change everything we know about life as far as we know it.

As far as where do we go from here is concerned. I think we will eventually have the answers if we are looking towards the future and not the past.

 

[Robittybob1]

I couldn't decide if this belongs in the Biology & Genetics forums or the Chemistry forum so I placed it here. Hope that isn't a problem.

As I'm sure most of you may already know. A biochemist has made a hypothesis that life originated from mars and came to earth on a meteorite.

How plausible does this hypothesis seem? There are a lot of other planets in our solar system. Not only that, but how does life originate somewhere then hitch a ride on a meteorite to earth?

This is one source. Earth life likely came from Mars There are many others.

Thoughts about this?

For 2 years I have been looking for evidence that life started on Mercury, and it has been extensively argued in the "Life on mercury"thread.
http://www.physforum.com/index.php?showtopic=29842. It would take another year to summarize it all now, but it could be worth looking at it again in the light of the new evidence here.