If the accretion process of planet formation was still going on in the solar system, how would life on earth be different? How would life be different?

1 Answer
Mar 13, 2016

If the accretion process were still going on, it seems unlikely that life would evolve at all.

Explanation:

During the period 4.5 billion years ago, heavy bombardment of the Earth was a part of the accretionary process. This tends to mean that the surface of the planet, and any water around, was very hot, due to these collisions and from ongoing volcanic eruptions possibly linked with impacts due to pre-plate tectonic mantel convection.

One theory on the origin of life suggests life evolved around hot black smoker areas of the bottom of the ocean (where magma is coming out). However, for early life biochemicals to form they can't be too hot or too cold. If the water is too hot, they would be broken apart almost immediately.