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With regard to the origin of life on Earth, which of the following findings would support the hypothesis of abiogenesis, but not the panspermia hypothesis?

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CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER

With regard to the origin of life on Earth, which of the following findings would support the hypothesis of abiogenesis, but not the panspermia hypothesis?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When evaluating which finding would support abiogenesis but not panspermia, we need to weigh how each option aligns with an Earth-origin story versus evidence for life arriving from elsewhere.
Option 1: Discovery of complex organic molecules on a comet. This demonstrates that the ingredients for life can form in space, which supports prebiotic chemistry and the plausibility of abiogenesis on early Earth. However, it does not exclude panspermia, since those same molecules could have been delivered to Earth by comets and later led to life here. Therefore, this finding is compatible with both hypotheses and doesn’t uniquely favor abiogenesis over panspermia.
Option 2: Similarities between extremophiles on Earth and hypothetical life that could survive space travel. This suggests that life, once it exists, could share traits that help it endure harsh conditions, whether it originated on Earth or somewhere else. It does not specifically point to life arising independently on Earth, nor does it rule out life having an extraterrestrial origin labeled as panspermia, so it’s not diagnostic for abiogenesis over panspermia.
Option 3: The discovery of extraterrestrial life that uses another molecule than DNA for inheritance. This is a strong candidate for supporting abiogenesis in the sense that life elsewhere employs a fundamentally different biochemistry from Earth’s DNA/RNA system, which implies that life can originate via alternative chemistries and is not tightly tied to Earth’s genetic framework. Such a finding makes the case for abiogenesis as a general principle more plausible and weakens the case that life on Earth must have arrived from elsewhere with the same DNA-based system, i.e., it challenges a panspermia-only explanation. Yet, it does not definitively prove Earth’s abiogenesis but it specifically undermines the idea that Earth’s life must have originated from a panspermic lineage with identical biochemistry.
Option 4: Meteorites found on Earth containing amino acids and nucleotides. This demonstrates that the basic building blocks of life could be delivered to Earth from space, which is compatible with panspermia or with enhanced prebiotic chemistry on early Earth. It does not, by itself, distinguish between abiogenesis on Earth and life arriving from elsewhere, so it does not uniquely support abiogenesis over panspermia.

BIOL 1001 (001-013) Exam 3: Unit 3

CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER With regard to the origin of life on Earth, which of the following findings would support the hypothesis of abiogenesis, but not the panspermia hypothesis?

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