When seawater gets cold, it gets viscous. This fact could explain how single-celled ocean creatures became multicellular when the planet was frozen during “Snowball Earth,” according to experiments.
  • CaptainSpaceman@lemmy.world
    191·
    3 months ago

    Extreme heat (floor vents at the bottom of the ocean) is the prevailing theory for start of life on earth. Would be fascinating if the opposite temperature becomes the main theory for the start of complex life.

    • acosmichippo@lemmy.worldEnglish
      141·
      3 months ago

      I wouldn’t say prevailing theory, surface water bodies are also in the mix. Also this article is in regards to multicellular life, not the very beginning of life.

    • fishos@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      3 months ago

      I could see the logic in that(not sure if it’s true lol). Like, extreme heat to have a cconstant and complex mix of chemical interactions occuring, but then once they’ve formed something, cooler temps help focus long term stability. No idea if that works or not or just sounds good tho.