Scientists have pondered for centuries the enigma surrounding the origins of life on Earth. Surprisingly, the solution may be found in a modest lake nestled in the heart of British Columbia’s Interior.
Located approximately 150 kilometers northwest of Kamloops, Last Chance Lake is a shallow body of water characterized by its murky depths.
A recent research endeavor conducted by the University of Washington has unveiled that this lake possesses the ideal conditions to be deemed a “cradle of life” — a plausible site where life could have spontaneously arisen billions of years ago.
“We are delving into one of the most profound unanswered inquiries in the realm of science, which pertains to our genesis,” articulated David Catling, the senior author of the study.
Catling expounded on how Last Chance Lake aligns with the “warm little pond” hypothesis postulated by renowned 19th-century scientist Charles Darwin. According to Darwin’s proposition, life on Earth might have originated in shallow lakes boasting the necessary components.
Last Chance Lake boasts a unique blend of attributes essential for this hypothesis, as disclosed by the researchers: elevated salt levels, minerals sourced from the volcanic expanse it rests upon — the Cariboo Plateau, and an exceptionally concentrated amount of phosphate.
For life to burgeon, Catling emphasized that the phosphate levels must be elevated significantly, ranging from 100 to one million times higher than the standard concentrations found in earthly water bodies.
While various phosphate-rich water sources exist on Earth, the research team identified Last Chance Lake as harboring the most elevated levels ever documented, a revelation unearthed from a master’s thesis appendix at the University of Saskatchewan dating back to the ‘90s.
The researchers made multiple visits to the lake throughout different seasons, observing the lake’s freeze-over during winter and its transformation into a salt flat as summer draws to a close, coinciding with peak phosphate concentrations.
Catling postulated that such phosphate-rich lakes were likely prevalent on ancient Earth around four billion years ago.
The warm little pond theory, as elucidated by CBC science columnist Torah Kachur, is just one of several hypotheses endeavoring to elucidate the genesis of life on Earth. While hydrothermal vents at the ocean floor present another compelling theory, lakes like Last Chance Lake, lacking the intense pressure of hydrothermal vents, encompass all the crucial components.
Moreover, the implications extend beyond Earth, with previous studies in British Columbia shedding light on the early stages of life. The findings suggest that life could have potentially emerged in a similar fashion on other celestial bodies, indicating that these conditions might not be exclusive to Earth but rather a natural occurrence in diverse environments.
In essence, Last Chance Lake serves as a testament to the possibility of life’s origin in unconventional settings, offering a glimpse into the potential universality of life’s beginnings across planetary landscapes.