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A Supernova May Have Sparked Evolution In Africa, Scientists Say
In a groundbreaking study published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, researchers have proposed a revolutionary theory: a supernova explosion 2.5 million years ago may have accelerated the evolution of viruses in Africa’s deepest lake, Lake Tanganyika.
This extraordinary claim stems from an examination of iron isotopes (iron-60) that identified a 2.5 million-year-old supernova, which is directly linked to a radiation surge that affected Earth at the same time. The researchers suggest that the blast was powerful enough to break the DNA of living creatures and possibly cause viruses in Lake Tanganyika to mutate into new species.
According to Caitlyn Nojiri, co-author of the paper and an undergraduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, “The iron-60 is a way to trace back when the supernovae were occurring. From two to three million years ago, we think that a supernova happened nearby.”
This phenomenon is not isolated; research published in 2022 has established a significant link between supernova explosions and the evolution of complex life on Earth. The study discovered a correlation between the frequency of supernovae over the last 3.5 billion years and the fraction of organic matter buried in Earth’s sediments, hinting that supernova events may influence Earth’s climate and the development of life.
Furthermore, another study released in 2023 utilizing meteorite evidence suggests that our early solar system survived a nearby supernova explosion as it was forming 4.6 billion years ago. Incredibly, this event not only allowed for survival but potentially assimilated elements from the explosion.
A “kill zone” is thought to exist around the solar system, stretching approximately 50 light-years from the Sun, where a supernova would destroy Earth’s ozone layer and extinguish all life if it were any closer. Notably, Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion, at a distance of about 550 light-years, is the nearest star thought to be on the verge of a supernova.
These findings have far-reaching implications for our understanding of evolution and the impact of cosmic events on the development of life.
