Astronomers at Cornell University have posited that the atmospheric dynamics of Earth’s dinosaur age might assist in the identification of habitable planets beyond our solar system. Their research implies that during the Jurassic period, the presence of life-indicating molecules such as oxygen and methane in Earth’s atmosphere would have been more noticeable, thus offering a more distinct model for pinpointing planets that could support life. This novel approach allows researchers to hone in on the search for advanced life forms elsewhere in the universe by adopting the historical transmission spectra of Earth as a reference.
While the dinosaurs’ reign on Earth did not end favorably, the atmospheric “light signature” from their time offers a pivotal component for the search for life on planets circling distant stars, according to astronomers from Cornell University.
Their study, which encompasses the latest 540 million years of Earth’s development, known as the Phanerozoic Eon, suggests that telescopic technology would be more adept at spotting potential life-indicating chemical signs in the atmosphere of an exoplanet that mirrors the era of the dinosaurs rather than the present-day Earth.
Their models showed that the combination of biosignatures – particularly oxygen paired with methane, and ozone with methane – were more prominent during a period 100 to 300 million years ago when Earth’s oxygen levels were higher. The research replicated the transmission spectra or the distinctive pattern of light absorption by an atmosphere, which helps scientists ascertain its composition by observing the way it absorbs and filters through different colors of starlight.
Atmospheric Evolution and Its Signatures Over Time
“The contemporary Earth’s light signature has been the standard for recognizing planets with potential for habitation. Yet, there was a period when this signature was more distinct, providing clearer evidence of life,” said Lisa Kaltenegger, who is the director of the Carl Sagan Institute (CSI) and an associate professor of astronomy. She expresses optimism that this could make the detection of life signs, possibly even complex organisms, slightly more feasible in the vast universe.
Kaltenegger, together with Rebecca Payne, a research associate at CSI and the leading author of the study titled “Oxygen Bounty for Earth-like Exoplanets: Spectra of Earth Through the Phanerozoic,” published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, detailed this significant period that witnessed the advent of terrestrial plants, animals, and dinosaurs.
By employing data from two well-regarded climate models, GEOCARB and COPSE, they projected the composition of Earth’s atmosphere and the consequential transmission spectra across five separate 100-million-year intervals of the Phanerozoic. These intervals marked substantial transitions, including the diversification of marine biospheres, the spread of forests, and the development of land ecosystems, all of which had profound effects on the atmospheric concentration of oxygen and other gases.
“It covers just the last 12% of Earth’s history, but it includes nearly all the time when life was more complex than simple sponges,” Payne noted. “These are the light signatures we would seek out on other planets if we were looking for life forms more advanced than unicellular organisms.”
The Relevance for the Search of Exoplanets
While exoplanets may or may not experience similar evolutionary paths, the models by Payne and Kaltenegger complete the missing link of what a Phanerozoic-like telescope observation would reveal, generating new paradigms for life-harboring planets with diverse levels of atmospheric oxygen.
Kaltenegger has been at the forefront of constructing models that predict what observers from afar would see when viewing Earth through its geological, climatic, and atmospheric changes – what she refers to as our “ground truth” in the quest to find signs of life beyond Earth.
So far, around 35 terrestrial exoplanets have been located in zones considered habitable due to the possibility of liquid water. While analyzing an exoplanet’s atmosphere – presuming one exists – is at the frontier of the capabilities of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, it has become a feasible task. However, the scientists emphasize the importance of knowing what to look for. Their research identifies planets similar to the Phanerozoic Earth as the most likely sites for life discovery in the universe.
Their models also propose the theoretical possibility that if a life-supporting exoplanet is found to possess a 30% oxygen-rich atmosphere, its life forms might not be confined to microbes but could also encompass creatures as diverse and enormous as the dinosaurs of Earth’s past.
“If such life forms exist,” says Payne, “this kind of analysis enables us to ascertain where they might thrive.”
Regardless of the presence of dinosaurs, the study corroborates that from a vast distance, the light signature of such a planet would be more distinct than that of our current Earth.
Kaltenegger hopes to find planets with greater oxygen levels than Earth currently has, as this would simplify the life-search process. “And perhaps,” she muses, “there are other forms of dinosaurs out there waiting to be discovered.”
The study credits the support of the Carl Sagan Institute and the Brinson Foundation for the research’s success.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Exoplanet Habitability
How do dinosaur-era atmospheric conditions relate to finding exoplanets?
Cornell University astronomers have discovered that the atmospheric conditions from the age of dinosaurs may provide a better template for detecting signs of life on exoplanets. The higher detectability of biosignatures such as oxygen and methane during this era could guide scientists in refining their search for habitable worlds.
Can we use the Earth’s past to detect life on other planets?
Yes, by modeling Earth’s historical transmission spectra—its “light fingerprint”—scientists can use it as a reference to improve the search for biosignatures, which are indicators of life, on distant exoplanets.
What makes the Phanerozoic Eon significant in the search for extraterrestrial life?
The Phanerozoic Eon, covering the last 540 million years of Earth’s history, is when life on our planet became more complex. It provides a valuable period for astronomers to model and look for similar conditions on exoplanets that could harbor complex life forms.
What biosignature pairs are scientists looking for in exoplanets?
Scientists are particularly interested in the biosignature pairs of oxygen and methane, and ozone and methane. These were stronger during the age of dinosaurs, when oxygen levels were higher, which could make such signs of life more detectable on exoplanets.
What implications do these findings have for future telescope observations?
The findings create new templates for identifying habitable planets by indicating that planets resembling the Earth during the Phanerozoic may be the most promising targets. These templates will guide future telescope observations, including those by the James Webb Space Telescope, in the search for life.
Are there any exoplanets currently identified as potentially habitable?
About 35 rocky exoplanets have been discovered in habitable zones where liquid water, and consequently life as we know it, could exist. These planets are the primary focus for further atmospheric analysis to search for signs of life.
More about Exoplanet Habitability
- Cornell University Astronomy
- Carl Sagan Institute
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
- NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
- GEOCARB Model
- COPSE Climate Model
5 comments
so they’re telling us that dinosaurs could be the key to finding new life? now that’s a cool concept, dinos helping us from beyond the grave haha
The research sounds promising but, what are the chances we’ll actually find planets with similar conditions to earth, seems like looking for a needle in a haystack
I read about this study, its fascinating but i’m a bit skeptical, how do we know the same rules apply in a galaxy far far away?
gotta love science making strides like this, but there’s so much we still don’t understand about our own planet. let alone ones millions of light years away
Wow, just when you think you’ve seen it all, the past of our own planet could help find life elsewhere, thats mind-blowing!