Gian 9 Posted September 25, 2020 If microbial life is discovered in Venus' atmosphere, and samples are collected, will science be able to tell us whether its ancestry somehow found its way there from Earth, or whether it's definitely a product of abiogenesis on Venus? Thanks GIAN 🙂 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Endy0816 451 Posted September 25, 2020 If genetics were similar that might argue for a common origin. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StringJunky 2293 Posted September 25, 2020 (edited) If the handedness of the glucose molecule they use/produce was different to that on Earth, that would confirm a different origin. Edited September 25, 2020 by StringJunky 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joigus 351 Posted September 25, 2020 1 hour ago, StringJunky said: If the handedness of the glucose molecule they use/produce was different to that on Earth, that would confirm a different origin. That seems right. But that's a sufficient condition. Suppose the 20 aminoacids were the same, and all the molecules had the same handedness. How would we know which forms of life came first? Maybe we would have to go to genetic trees, as @Endy0816 suggests... 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StringJunky 2293 Posted September 25, 2020 1 minute ago, joigus said: That seems right. But that's a sufficient condition. Suppose the 20 aminoacids were the same, and all the molecules had the same handedness. How would we know which forms of life came first? Maybe we would have to go to genetic trees, as @Endy0816 suggests... Yes, genetics would seem to be the obvious route. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dimreepr 1062 Posted September 26, 2020 16 hours ago, Endy0816 said: If genetics were similar that might argue for a common origin. It may also argue for the only viable answer to life. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Endy0816 451 Posted September 26, 2020 1 hour ago, dimreepr said: It may also argue for the only viable answer to life. Yes, that is a distinct possibility as well. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites