The most widely supported hypothesis suggests that the earliest life on Earth adapted to high temperatures, potentially originating from hydrothermal vents, supported by evidence such as fossilized microbial mats. Alternative theories, like panspermia, propose life may have started on Mars and arrived here via meteorites, but current evidence primarily backs terrestrial origins of life. ;
Scientists hypothesize that the first life forms on Earth were likely simple microorganisms that originated in extreme environments like deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Supporting evidence includes the Miller-Urey experiment, which showed that organic compounds could form under early Earth conditions, and fossil evidence dating back over 3.5 billion years. Understanding these origins helps us explore the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe.
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