New evidence suggests that life on Earth may have begun from Mars and got here on a rock.
According to a press release by the European Association of Geochemistry, an organization promoting geochemical studies, a rare element called “molybdenum” discovered in 1778 may have been the mode of transportation used by our ancestors when they left the Red Planet to relocate in Earth.
Steven Benner, lead author of the study and a well-known professor at the University Of Florida Department Of Chemistry, will present his findings on Thursday at the annual Goldschmidt conference. He has evidence that the rare oxidized mineral may have come from the surface of Mars followed by suggestions that life may still exist on Mars.
"It's only when molybdenum becomes highly oxidized that it is able to influence how early life formed," explains Benner. "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. It's yet another piece of evidence which makes it more likely life came to Earth on a Martian meteorite, rather than starting on this planet."
Benner will discuss the two paradoxes which have made it complex for scientists to fully understand how life begun on Earth.
The “tar paradox” revolves in the idea that all living things are made of organic matter but once expose to any form of energy such as heat or light, it will create tar, oil or asphalt instead of life.
"Certain elements seem able to control the propensity of organic materials to turn into tar, particularly boron and molybdenum, so we believe that minerals containing both were fundamental to life first starting," he added. "Analysis of a Martian meteorite recently showed that there was boron on Mars; we now believe that the oxidized form of molybdenum was there too."
The second paradox suggests that it is unlikely for life to start on Earth since the planet is totally under water. Water is incompatible to ribonucleic acid (RNA), an acid present in all living cells. RNA can only be found in extremely dry places on Earth such as the Death Valley. There was evidence that water is also present in Mars but not as much as that of our planet.
"The evidence seems to be building that we are actually all Martians; that life started on Mars and came to Earth on a rock," he said. "It's lucky that we ended up here nevertheless, as certainly Earth has been the better of the two planets for sustaining life. If our hypothetical Martian ancestors had remained on Mars, there might not have been a story to tell."
