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Comets and the Origin and Evolution of Life pp 175–208Cite as

Impacts and the Early Evolution of Life

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Abstract

The K/T event shows that, even today, biospheric cratering is an important process. Impacts were much larger and more frequent on the early Earth. In all likelihood impacts posed the greatest challenge to the survival of early life.

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Authors
  1. K. J. Zahnle
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  2. N. H. Sleep
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, 54702-4004, Eau Claire, WI, USA

    Paul J. Thomas

  2. Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, 08544-1003, Princeton, NJ, USA

    Christopher F. Chyba

  3. Space Science Division, NASA/Ames Research Center, MS 245-3, 94035, Moffett Field, CA, USA

    Christopher P. McKay

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Zahnle, K.J., Sleep, N.H. (1997). Impacts and the Early Evolution of Life. In: Thomas, P.J., Chyba, C.F., McKay, C.P. (eds) Comets and the Origin and Evolution of Life. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2688-6_8

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