New Experimental Evidence: How Life Formed Before Cells

0:00 So how did life begin?

We know that life requires energy.
It requires water and very specific chemical elements.
But recently several major studies have completely reshaped our previous understanding of some of the earliest days on planet Earth
and thus presented us with a slightly different explanation for how scientists think life began
and specifically very extreme conditions including an ancient lava world, a very exotic type of rain
and of course an enormous moon creating some very powerful gravitational effects that essentially created this natural chemistry lab which resulted in the formation of first life molecules.

1:25 Earth did not cool that quick

We know for a fact that approximately 4.6 billion years ago, Earth formed as a very chaotic molten volcanic planet that was heavily bombarded by meteorites and comets.
But then within just a few million years, so once again about 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-sized object referred to as Thea collided with the planet, reshaping it dramatically and at the same time forming the moon.
Because it was so large compared to the planet and because it was so close, it actually produced enormous tidal effects.
The kneading effect on the entire surface prevented the planet from cooling down.
This also generated an enormous steam atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect that trapped the heat and maintained high temperatures on the surface, something referred to as global radiative equilibrium.
This period could have lasted for hundreds of millions of years.

4:10 Cooking the elements

This type of a lava world creates very specific chemistry that's essential for the formation of life.
For example, the methane to carbon dioxide ratio was approximately 0.1, perfect for photochemical production of hydrogen cyanide, one of the critical building blocks inside RNA and various proteins.

5:40 Space deliveries of complex molecules and evidence from other stars

When the planet cooled down and when water started to appear, the mixture of these chemicals with water created some of the first amino acids.
Earth was also constantly getting deliveries from meteorites and comets.
The dust that eventually forms planets contains complex organic molecules among which ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile, precursors for various amino acids.
Amounts of phosphorus and sulfur extremely likely came from outer space and are absolutely vital for life.

7:40 Quick formation of life

Approximately 4 billion years ago, liquid oceans started to form, enriched in many of these elements that apparently did not need much time to suddenly create life.
It only took maybe 100 to 200 million years to form some of the first cells, suggesting that life already existed 3.8 billion years ago.

8:12 The boron problem

Boron is necessary to stabilize sugars used by RNA. In these early oceans, boron levels were extremely high. A mineral referred to as turmoline, a gemstone, possibly acted as a sponge, soaking up the excess boron.

9:02 Hydrothermal vents

Hydrothermal vents, also known as black smokers, on the ocean floor, host reactions, especially involving iron and sulfur, can power metabolic reactions maybe able to form RNA strands.

10:35 How did the cells form?

These hydrothermal vents are also thought to exist on different moons, including the famous Enceladus and Europa.

11:45 Was freezing also needed?

12:15 Still no full story yet.