When a star explodes it can have drastic consequences for the area of space around it, destroying or altering entire systems and beyond. However, a supernova in a star system near our planet may have actually influenced the evolution of life as we know it.
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00When a star explodes, it can have drastic consequences for the area of space around
00:08it, destroying or altering entire systems and beyond.
00:12However, a supernova in a star system near our planet may have actually influenced the
00:16evolution of life as we know it.
00:18A new study links an influx in virus diversity in Lake Tanganyika in Africa 2.5 million years
00:23ago to the cosmic radiation from an ancient supernova.
00:27Radiation is a known driver of evolution, causing mutations that can accelerate genetic
00:31changes.
00:32Iron-60 is a radioactive isotope that has been linked to supernovae, and researchers
00:36discover two spikes in the isotope in seafloor sediments.
00:40One of those occurred 1.5 to 3.2 million years ago, with the researchers ultimately linking
00:45that to two supernovae that occurred during that time period.
00:48Further simulations indicate that Earth was bombarded with cosmic radiation for 100,000
00:52years following those explosions, with the researchers concluding that would be a large
00:56enough dose to not only cause an evolutionary impact on the organisms on our planet, but
01:00it could even be enough radiation to damage DNA.
01:03With experts saying that DNA breakage can occur at just 5 milligrays per year, with
01:08the supernova inundating life on Earth with 30 to 100 milligrays annually.