Indian origin scientist claims to know the origins of life

Dr. Sankar Chatterjee, an Indian-origin scientist claims to have solved the mystery of how life on earth exactly began about 4 billion years ago after studying three sites containing the world’s oldest fossils. Dr. Chatterjee, a Texas Tech University paleontologist says a meteorite bombardment left large craters on earth that contained water and chemical building blocks for life, which ultimately led to the first organisms. According to him the regular and heavy comet and meteorite bombardment of earth’s surface during its formative years 4 billion years ago, the large craters left behind not only contained water and the basic chemical building blocks for life, but also became the perfect crucible to concentrate and cook these chemicals to create the first simple organisms. Dr. Chatterjee’s research suggests meteorites can be givers of life as well as takers. He said it was likely that meteor and comet strikes brought the ingredients and created the right conditions for life on our planet. By studying three sites containing the world’s oldest fossils, he believes he knows how the first single-celled organisms formed in hydrothermal crater basins. Dr. Chatterjee presented his findings at the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver. Paleontology or palaeontology: Paleontology or palaeontology is the scientific study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments (their paleoecology). Paleontological observations have been documented as far back as the 5th century BC. The science became established in the 18th century as a result of Georges Cuvier's work on comparative anatomy, and developed rapidly in the 19th century. The term itself originates from Greek palaios, i.e. "old, ancient", on (gen. ontos), i.e. "being, creature" and logos i.e. "speech, thought, study".

What: Indian origin scientist claims to know the origins of life When: November 3, 2013 Who: Dr. Sankar Chatterjee