| Title: |
When did Life Likely Emerge on Earth in an RNA-First Process? |
| Authors: |
Benner, Steven A.; Bell, Elizabeth A.; Biondi, Elisa; Brasser, Ramon; Carell, Thomas; Kim, Hyo-Joong; Mojzsis, Stephen J.; Omran, Arthur; Pasek, Matthew A.; Trail, Dustin |
| Source: |
19. Benner, S.A., Bell, E.A., Biondi, E., Brasser, R., Carell, T., Kim, H-J., Mojzsis, S.J., Omran, A., Pasek, M.A., and Trail, D. (2020) When did Life Likely Emerge on Earth in an RNA-First Process? ChemSystemsChem 2, e1900035 |
| Publication Year: |
2019 |
| Collection: |
Astrophysics; Physics (Other) |
| Subject Terms: |
Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics; Physics - Biological Physics; Physics - Chemical Physics; Physics - Geophysics |
| Description: |
The widespread presence of ribonucleic acid (RNA) catalysts and cofactors in Earth's biosphere today suggests that RNA was the first biopolymer to support Darwinian evolution. However, most "path-hypotheses" to generate building blocks for RNA require reduced nitrogen-containing compounds not made in useful amounts in the CO2-N2-H2O atmospheres of the Hadean. We review models for Earth's impact history that invoke a single ~10^23 kg impactor (Moneta) to account for measured amounts of platinum, gold, and other siderophilic ("iron-loving") elements on the Earth and Moon. If it were the last sterilizing impactor, Moneta would have reduced the atmosphere but not its mantle, opening a "window of opportunity" for RNA synthesis, a period when RNA precursors rained from the atmosphere to land holding oxidized minerals that stabilize advanced RNA precursors and RNA. Surprisingly, this combination of physics, geology, and chemistry suggests a time when RNA formation was most probable, ~120 +/- 100 million years after Moneta's impact, or ~4.36 +/- 0.1 billion years ago. Uncertainties in this time are driven by uncertainties in rates of productive atmosphere loss and amounts of sub-aerial land.; Comment: Paper accepted to ChemSystemsChem [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/25704206] August 22, 2019 |
| Document Type: |
Working Paper |
| DOI: |
10.1002/syst.201900035 |
| Access URL: |
http://arxiv.org/abs/1908.11327 |
| Accession Number: |
edsarx.1908.11327 |
| Database: |
arXiv |