Zee Media Bureau/Philaso kaping
Florence: Remember the film Mission to Mars in which the astronauts discovered that Martians seeded life on Earth?
Well the scenario is a likely one as a new study has suggested that an element which triggered the formation of the first living creatures from organic molecules was likely to have been available only on the red planet.
Professor Steven Benner, a geochemist from The Westheimer Institute for Science and Technology, who presented his findings at the annual Goldschmidt geochemistry conference, said that in addition recent studies show these conditions, suitable for the origin of life, may still exist on Mars.
"It`s only when molybdenum becomes highly oxidized that it is able to influence how early life formed," Professor Benner said."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."
The Professor’s research dealt with two paradoxes that dictate the origins of life, the tar paradox and the water paradox.
"All living things are made from organic matter, but simply adding energy to organic molecules will not create life. Instead, left to themselves, organic molecules become something more like tar or asphalt," Prof Benner added.
"Certain elements seem able to control the propensity of organic materials to turn to tar, particularly boron and molybdenum, so we believe that minerals containing both were fundamental to life first starting.
"Analysis of a Martian meteorite recently showed that there was boron on Mars; we now believe that the oxidised form of molybdenum was there too."
Secondly, drier surface condition on Mars was conducive for adequate concentrations of boron forming; besides water is corrosive to RNA, which scientists believe was the first genetic molecule to appear. These meant our planet which was likely to have been totally covered by water wouldn’t have provided an optimum environment for life to begin.
"The evidence seems to be building that we are actually all Martians; that life started on Mars and came to Earth on a rock," said Professor Benner. "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."
