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Impacts and the Early Evolution of Life

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Comets and the Origin and Evolution of Life

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 and Affiliations

  1. NASA Ames Research Center, MS 245-3 Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA

    Kevin Zahnle

  2. Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Norman H. Sleep

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  1. Kevin Zahnle
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

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

    Paul J. Thomas

  2. Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, WI, 54702-4004, USA

    Roland Dean Hicks

  3. Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute, 2035 Landings Drive, Mountain View, CA, 94043, USA

    Christopher F. Chyba

  4. Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 245-3, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA

    Christopher P. McKay

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© 2006 Springer

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Zahnle, K., Sleep, N.H. (2006). Impacts and the Early Evolution of Life. In: Thomas, P.J., Hicks, R.D., Chyba, C.F., McKay, C.P. (eds) Comets and the Origin and Evolution of Life. Advances in Astrobiology and Biogeophysics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg . https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-33088-7_7

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