An ancient meteorite that crashed into Earth billions of years ago may have created the first forms of life, a study claims.
The S2 meteorite, 200 times larger than the one that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, is believed to have hit South Africa 3.26 billion years ago.
Researchers at Harvard University reported that there is still evidence of the meteor impact in an area called the Barberton Greenstone Belt in southeastern Africa.
Despite the previous belief that meteorites of this size completely decimated all life forms, by analyzing rock samples the researchers discovered that in this case they could have helped rebuild life on Earth.
After the accident, huge tsunamis pushed debris from land into the ocean, stirring up iron on the seafloor.
When combined with phosphorus from the S2 meteorite, the collision created ideal conditions for bacteria to thrive.
Nadja Drabon, an early Earth geologist at Harvard University and lead author of the study, said: “We think that impact events are disastrous for life.
“But what this study highlights is that these impacts would have had benefits for life, especially in the early stages… these impacts could have allowed life to flourish.”
An ancient meteorite called S2 crashed in South Africa 3.6 billion years ago and may have sparked life on Earth.
The researchers studied rock residue from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, known to be one of the oldest and best preserved pieces of continental crust.
It is located on the eastern edge of the Kaapvaal Craton, which was once part of a supercontinent called Vaalbara that existed 3.6 to 2.2 billion years ago before splitting into two separate continents.
The team collected 214 rock samples from 16 feet below where S2 hit to 26 feet above the site in an area called Bruce’s Hill and Umbaumba.
They analyzed 83 samples for major, trace and rare earth elements, while other portions were analyzed for organic carbon isotopes that can be used to trace the object’s origin and history.
Through their findings, Harvard University researchers were able to reconstruct what happened when the meteor struck.
When the S2 meteorite, which quadrupled the size of Mount Everest, slammed into Earth, it created a series of events that spurred the formation of bacteria and the possible creation of all life.
After triggering the massive tsunami that carried debris into the sea, the upper layer of the ocean began to boil, thus heating the atmosphere and creating a thick cloud of dust that blocked all sunlight.
Imagine standing off the coast of Cape Cod, on a shelf of shallow water. “It’s a low-energy environment, without strong currents,” Drabon said.
“Then all of a sudden we have a giant tsunami come through and rip up the seafloor.”
This effectively stopped photosynthesis, the process used by plants, algae and some bacteria to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen using sunlight.
Despite this, the researchers found that the impact caused the land to erode and stirred up iron from the deep ocean and allowed iron-metabolizing bacteria to proliferate.
Although the impact was likely short-lived, their findings represent a key advance in understanding how life began.
There are records of at least 16 major events involving extremely bright meteors that impacted Earth and had serious consequences for the environment, but their impact on early life is not yet fully understood, according to the study.
“The environmental effects of the S2 meteorite impact, and probably other large early Archean impacts, appear to have had mixed effects on early marine life,” he continued.
“Some life forms were positively affected while others faced greater challenges,” such as the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.
The researchers concluded: “Our work suggests that on a global scale, early life may have benefited from an influx of nutrients and electron donors, as well as new environments, as a result of major impacts.”
