Questions regarding Earth life came from Mars - ? - Thanks

[nukeman]

Questions regarding "Earth life came from Mars" - ? - Thanks

Hey guys ans girls,

Ok now i am not fully versed in this theory, but the basis is that the life on Earth started from a impact from a piece of mars, that contained organisms, that survived the impact, and started life on earth.

Now of course this is far fetched, and I am not interested in whether this is a silly theory, impossible or whatever.

I want some general data points.

Lets says a average sized piece of Mars ejected from whatever reason, and came crashing for earth. What general speed would an object like this be going (very general)

Lets say this theory is possible, what type of organism would it be? What would its best comparison be here on earth? Single cell organism?

Thanks for any info anyone can provide.

 

[Ophiolite]

Lets says a average sized piece of Mars ejected from whatever reason, and came crashing for earth. What general speed would an object like this be going (very general).

Meteors and asteroids generally impact the Earth at between 10 - 50 km/second. I would expect Mars origin meteors to be in the lower range, say 10-25 km/second.

However this is the velocity when they intersect the Earth's atmosphere. They will be greatly slowed depending upon size, shape and to some extent compostion. Many of them would strike the ground/ocean at as little as 200km/hour.

Lets say this theory is possible, what type of organism would it be? What would its best comparison be here on earth? Single cell organism?.

Conditions suitable for life existed on Mars for a comparatively short time. On the Earth the only organisms present for at least the first billion years were prokaryotes, the simplest of the single celled organisms. If the theory is valid then these Martian organisms would have to have been prokaryotes.

Now of course this is far fetched, and I am not interested in whether this is a silly theory, .

I am not sure why you think this might be a silly theory.
We know that impacts on Mars occur and transfer material to the Earth.
we know that the average transit time for such material is around ten million years, but can be much shorter.
We know that the interior of a meteor could provide sufficient protection from radiation and cosmic rays for any entrained organisms.
We know that organisms could in theory remain in stasis for a similar length of time.
We know that organisms could easily survive impact at the lower velocities attainable with the smaller fragments.

In short the entire scenario is wholly plausible and not at all silly. Indeed, if life existed on Mars in the early days of the solar of system it is virtually certain that some of it transferred to the Earth. Whether it then set the ball of life rolling here, or provided food for one of our ancestors, remains an open question.

 

[Oldfart]

I have a related question: When scientists refer to their studies of Martian meteorites, how did they determine that the meteorites actually came from Mars?

OF

 

[Vagn]

I have a related question: When scientists refer to their studies of Martian meteorites, how did they determine that the meteorites actually came from Mars?

OF

Usually it means that there were bubbles of gas within the rock and that when analysed, the bubbles of gas have compositions very similar to the Martian Atmosphere.

 

[nukeman]

Well i don't think its silly, or I would not be doing research on it :)

Just some people I ran into go on about how this was not possible, bla bla bla.

Thanks, great points!

Meteors and asteroids generally impact the Earth at between 10 - 50 km/second. I would expect Mars origin meteors to be in the lower range, say 10-25 km/second.

However this is the velocity when they intersect the Earth's atmosphere. They will be greatly slowed depending upon size, shape and to some extent compostion. Many of them would strike the ground/ocean at as little as 200km/hour.

Conditions suitable for life existed on Mars for a comparatively short time. On the Earth the only organisms present for at least the first billion years were prokaryotes, the simplest of the single celled organisms. If the theory is valid then these Martian organisms would have to have been prokaryotes.

I am not sure why you think this might be a silly theory.
We know that impacts on Mars occur and transfer material to the Earth.
we know that the average transit time for such material is around ten million years, but can be much shorter.
We know that the interior of a meteor could provide sufficient protection from radiation and cosmic rays for any entrained organisms.
We know that organisms could in theory remain in stasis for a similar length of time.
We know that organisms could easily survive impact at the lower velocities attainable with the smaller fragments.

In short the entire scenario is wholly plausible and not at all silly. Indeed, if life existed on Mars in the early days of the solar of system it is virtually certain that some of it transferred to the Earth. Whether it then set the ball of life rolling here, or provided food for one of our ancestors, remains an open question.

 

[Ophiolite]

Usually it means that there were bubbles of gas within the rock and that when analysed, the bubbles of gas have compositions very similar to the Martian Atmosphere.

Specifically, IIRC, it is the ratios of isotopes of the inert gases that was the key. However, the meteorites in question had already been identified as unusual, since their mineralogy and composition did not match that of other meteorites: they had been placed in a separate class. The gas analysis, compared with results from the Viking landers, is what allowed their identification as Martian.