Hypothesis 3

Recently, some scientists have postulated that life began on or near a deep sea hydrothermal vent.

Dynamic, complex ecosystems which are driven not by energy from the sun, but by heat and chemical reactions, are still found around hydrothermal vents. These conditions could very well have fuelled the development of early

life forms.

Using DNA analyses of modern organisms, biologists have even tentatively traced the most recent common ancestor of all life to an aquatic microorganism that lived in extremely high temperatures – a likely candidate for a hydrothermal vent inhabitant!