Meteorites brought phosphorus to Earth
Posted on: 06/Jun/2013 5:34:11 PM
A study conducted by scientists at the University of Florida (USF) shows that the life giving element phosphorus was brought to Earth by meteorites. They said that the Earth was bombarded by meteorites in the Hadean and Archean eras.
Says Assistant Prof. of Geology at USF Matthew Pasek, ‘The meteorites delivered phosphorus in minerals that are not seen on the surface of Earth, and these minerals corroded in water to release phosphorus in a form seen only on the early Earth. Meteorite phosphorus may have been a fuel that provided the energy and phosphorus necessary for the onset of life. If this meteoritic phosphorus is added to simple organic compounds, it can generate phosphorus biomolecules identical to those seen in life today. The research provides a plausible answer: The conditions under which life arose on Earth billions of years ago are no longer present today. The present research shows that this is indeed the case: Phosphorus chemistry on the early Earth was substantially different billions of years ago than it is today.’
