Did all life on Earth start in the sea?

Naseem Ware

Scientists are divided into two main camps on this issue: those who believe life originated in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and those who think it started on land. One argument against the deep-sea vent hypothesis is that all the macromolecules in living things – DNA, proteins, lipids and so on – form through condensation reactions, which need conditions that fluctuate between wet and dry. But those on team vent say absorbent minerals around the vents could have provided a kind of dehydration. Then there’s the wildcard theory of panspermia: that life began in space. It’s not likely that there will be a consensus on this conundrum any time soon.

Studies have found that amino acids – essential components for life – can spontaneously form near alkaline vents