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Seeding the Solar System with Life: Mars, Venus, Earth, Moon, Protoplanets

Authors :
Joseph Rhawn G.
Planchon Olivier
Gibson Carl H.
Schild Rudolph
Source :
Open Astronomy, Vol 29, Iss 1, Pp 124-157 (2020)
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
De Gruyter, 2020.

Abstract

In the space of the entire universe, the only conclusive evidence of life, is found on Earth. Although the ultimate source of all life is unknown, many investigators believe Earth, Mars, and Venus may have been seeded with life when these planets, and the sun, were forming in a galactic cluster of thousands of stars and protoplanets. Yet others hypothesize that while and after becoming established members of this solar system, these worlds became contaminated with life during the heavy bombardment phase when struck by millions of life-bearing meteors, asteroids, comets and oceans of ice. Because bolide impacts may eject tons of life-bearing debris into space, and as powerful solar winds may blow upper atmospheric organisms into space, these three planets may have repeatedly exchanged living organisms for billions of years. In support of these hypotheses is evidence suggestive of stromatolites, algae, and lichens on Mars, fungi on Mars and Venus, and formations resembling fossilized acritarchs and metazoans on Mars, and fossilized impressions resembling microbial organisms on the lunar surface, and dormant microbes recovered from the interior of a lunar camera. The evidence reviewed in this report supports the interplanetary transfer hypothesis and that Earth may be seeding this solar system with life.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
25436376
Volume :
29
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Open Astronomy
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.7864fbc962b49bda013feae93cef50d
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1515/astro-2020-0019