Earth Life Likely Came from Mars

[Alex_Spider]

http://www.space.com/22577-earth-life-from-mars-theory.html

Check video in link.

We may all be Martians.

Evidence is building that Earth life originated on Mars and was brought to this planet aboard a meteorite, said biochemist Steven Benner of The Westheimer Institute for Science and Technology in Florida.

An oxidized form of the element molybdenum, which may have been crucial to the origin of life, was likely available on the Red Planet's surface long ago, but unavailable on Earth, said Benner, who presented his findings today (Aug. 28; Aug. 29 local time) at the annual Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Florence, Italy. [The Search for Life on Mars (Photo Timeline)]

"It’s only when molybdenum becomes highly oxidized that it is able to influence how early life formed," Benner said in a statement. "This form of molybdenum couldn’t have been available on Earth at the time life first began, because 3 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."

Organic compounds are the building blocks of life, but they need a little help to make things happen. Simply adding energy such as heat or light turns a soup of organic molecules into a tarlike substance, Benner said.

That's where oxidized molybdenum comes in. Inserting it or boron, another element, into the mix would help organics make the leap to life, Benner 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," he said.

Another point in Mars' favor is the likelihood that the early Earth was completely covered by water while the ancient Red Planet had substantial dry areas, Benner said. All of this liquid would have made it difficult for boron, which is currently found only in extremely dry places, to form in high enough concentrations on Earth when life was first evolving.

Further, Benner added, water is corrosive to RNA, which most researchers think was the first genetic molecule (rather than DNA, which came later).

No indigenous Red Planet organisms have ever been discovered. But it is possible that life on Mars — if it ever existed — may have made its way to Earth at some point, many scientists say.

Some microbes are incredibly hardy, after all, and may be able to survive an interplanetary journey after being blasted off their home world by an asteroid impact. And orbital dynamics show that it's much easier for rocks to travel from Mars to Earth than the other way around.

Wherever Earth life originated, Benner is glad it put down roots on our blue planet.

"It’s lucky that we ended up here nevertheless, as certainly Earth has been the better of the two planets for sustaining life," Benner said. "If our hypothetical Martian ancestors had remained on Mars, there might not have been a story to tell."

 

[Duke]

The same theory was mentioned in the movie Mission To Mars, I don't buy it.

 

[Pink Ranger]

There are those who believe ... that life here ... began out there ...

 

[NickNitro]

that explains a lot of my actions.....

 

[Duke]

There are those who believe ... that life here ... began out there ...

Battlestar Galactica, eh??

 

[Spuzz]

Old news.

 

[Alex_Spider]

Old news.

lol. That might explain why we have never fully understand the women's mind.

 

[KevanG]

And millions of years hence, when we are gone, earth is in ruins and theres no trace of us left, Mars will look to us and say Mars life likely came from earth.

 

[Senator Pleasury]

Noooo. Life was started by an invisible bearded man who lives in the clouds!

 

[DarkSovereignty]

And millions of years hence, when we are gone, earth is in ruins and theres no trace of us left, Mars will look to us and say Mars life likely came from earth.

Whoa man, that was, like, reeeeaaallly deep...man.

 

[Breogan]

Noooo. Life was started by an invisible bearded man who lives in the clouds!

He was actually the last Martian who sent his last begotten sperm on a rocket(meteor) to Earth before the planet drieded up.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

He's was actually the last Martian who sent his last begotten sperm on a rocket(meteor) to Earth before the planet drieded up.

Into a volcano right?

 

[Breogan]

Into a volcano right?

He had great aim!

 

[DarkSovereignty]

It was Scientology joke maaaaaan

 

[Breogan]

It was Scientology joke maaaaaan

Yeah I know,

 

[KevanG]

Whoa man, that was, like, reeeeaaallly deep...man.

It's not just deep. It's like, astronomical man.

 

[Doctor Evo]

This is based upon the assumption that oxidized Molybdenum was necessary for the formation of life, and I'm not sure how well-supported that assumption actually is.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Couldn't it occur several different ways?

 

[Doctor Evo]

Couldn't it occur several different ways?

Maybe, or maybe not. Even if we did find a way to create life de novo whilst replicating the appropriate environmental conditions, we couldn't be sure that it accurately reflects what occurred way back when. We *might* be able to assign a probability (or probabilities), but I can't help but wonder whether that's optimistic.

There are things that we know (within reason) that could not have happened, but that's probably the best we can do. Hell, that's how science works: you don't actually "accept" hypotheses so much as fail to reject them.

 

[ThePhantasm]

But it is possible that life on Mars — if it ever existed — may have made its way to Earth at some point, many scientists say.

Its also possible that flying space unicorns - if they ever existed - spawned the gas planet Jupiter from their flatulence.

Seriously, these news stories are lame. Life may have come from Mars... but we don't know if Mars ever had life to begin with? That's just stupid.

 

[Ultimatehero]

See us scientologists were always right!

Long live lord Fhdjffa Nfh our one true GOD!

 

[Breogan]

Its also possible that flying space unicorns - if they ever existed - spawned the gas planet Jupiter from their flatulence.

Seriously, these news stories are lame. Life may have come from Mars... but we don't know if Mars ever had life to begin with? That's just stupid.

They don't say they have definitive proof, just that there's mounting evidence it may have happened. Whether you prefer it to have happened on Earth or Mars is irrelevant, right now they don't know, they are following any possible conditions or place where it might have been likely. Explain what exactly you think is so stupid about that?

 

[ThePhantasm]

You don't know that life ever ever ever existed on Mars, but there is "mounting evidence" that it came from Mars? Sounds like front-page news pseudo-science to me.

 

[Doctor Evo]

You don't know that life ever ever ever existed on Mars, but there is "mounting evidence" that it came from Mars? Sounds like front-page news pseudo-science to me.

This evidence actually lends support to both hypotheses.

 

[Green Goblin]

I thought they found bacteria fossils on Mars?