Meteorite, four times the size of Mount Everest, collided with Earth and life began

Evidence from ancient rocks in South Africa's Barberton Greenstone Belt reveals that despite the initial devastation, life rebounded rapidly and even thrived in the aftermath.

In Short

• This catastrophic event acted as a "giant fertilizer bomb"
• The meteorite, estimated to be 50-200 times larger than the one that killed dinosaurs
• he impact likely vapourized rock, created a global dust cloud

A massive meteorite impact that occurred 3.26 billion years ago may have played a crucial role in the early evolution of life on Earth, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The study, led by Harvard University geologist Nadja Drabon, suggests that this catastrophic event acted as a "giant fertiliser bomb" for primitive microorganisms.

The meteorite, estimated to be 50-200 times larger than the one that caused the extinction of dinosaurs, slammed into Earth during the Paleoarchean Era. At that time, Earth was primarily covered in water, with minimal continental landmass and no oxygen in the atmosphere or oceans.

Evidence from ancient rocks in South Africa's Barberton Greenstone Belt reveals that despite the initial devastation, life rebounded rapidly and even thrived in the aftermath.

The impact likely vapourized rock, created a global dust cloud, triggered massive tsunamis, and caused the upper layers of the oceans to boil.

However, the meteorite, classified as a carbonaceous chondrite, delivered large amounts of phosphorus - a crucial nutrient for microbial life. Additionally, the impact-induced tsunamis mixed iron-rich deep waters with shallower waters, creating ideal conditions for many types of microorganisms.

"Imagine these impacts to be giant fertilizer bombs," Drabon explained. While such events are typically viewed as catastrophic for life, the simplicity and adaptability of microorganisms at that time allowed them to benefit from the changed environment.

The study's findings challenge the notion that all large meteorite impacts are universally destructive to life. Instead, they suggest that under certain conditions, such events could have played a beneficial role in Earth's early biological evolution by providing essential nutrients and creating new habitats for primitive life forms.

This research not only sheds light on Earth's ancient past but also offers insights into the potential resilience and adaptability of microbial life in extreme conditions, both on our planet and possibly elsewhere in the universe.