Life started in cold environment

On the contrary to the widely held belief that life on Earth began in extremely hot conditions, new research shows that life on Earth, billions years ago, began in cold conditions. The findings of the new research were published by scientists in “Science” magazine.

For several hundred years scientists have been asserting that life on Earth began in water. In the early stages of life development, it was believed that organic matter found in oceans consolidated into chain molecules.

As chain molecules became more complex, macromolecules were able to reproduce. With the help of amino acids, a by-product of asteroid collisions, protein was formed, which in turn aided in formation of membranes, and ultimately cells.

Scientists still have not agreed on exact conditions that led to early formation of life on Earth. There is a frequent reference to an “ancestor” of a modern ocean, which is assumed to have been a hot and a steamy lake.

“The previous assumption is incorrect because early conditions were not hot”, assert Jeffrey Bada from University of California, San Diego, and Antonio Lazcano from Mexican University UNAM.

As individual molecules joined, the process needed more then just standard catalysts, such as mud and ionic metals. Along with these catalysts, low temperatures further improve this process, and this finding was tested and proven in various labs.

Scientists further believe that, in certain spots, life began under thick layers of ice.

Bada and Lazcano solidify their theory with more concrete evidence:

DNA, the carrier of genetic information, and highly sensitive RNA, have a highest survival rate in low temperatures. This is the reason why fossilized DNA in the northern areas of the Earth have been able to survive for up to 100,000 years, while in the warmer areas of the Earth, their survival span is between 1,000 to 10,000 years.