The Last Chance Lake in British Columbia offers the latest evidence on how life may have first emerged on Earth. A study, published in the journal Nature, found that this shallow, salty body of water contains the highest levels of concentrated phosphate ever recorded in any natural body of water on Earth.
The significant amount of phosphate, a critical component of biological molecules, found in Last Chance Lake is more than 1,000 times greater than that typically found in oceans or lakes. According to study co-author David Catling, a professor of geosciences at the University of Washington, this discovery provides crucial clues indicating that carbonate-rich lakes on ancient Earth could have been a “cradle of life.”
The lake, perched atop volcanic rock and estimated to be less than 10,000 years old, is not only abundant in phosphate, but also in the mineral dolomite, which allows phosphorus to accumulate in this unique environment. The mineral was formed in response to chemical reactions in the lake between calcium, magnesium, and carbonate.
Scientists believe that this type of environment, referred to as “soda lakes,” could have been where the first molecules of life formed. This finding supports the “warm little pond” hypothesis proposed by Charles Darwin in the 19th century, which suggested that warm, shallow, phosphate-rich lakes were the birthplace of life on Earth.
The study also has implications beyond Earth, particularly in the search for life beyond our planet. Understanding the origin of life on Earth may provide valuable insights for detecting life on other planets or moons in the solar system. Last Chance Lake offers a natural snapshot of conditions that may have existed on the primordial Earth, providing scientists with the opportunity to better understand events that led to the emergence of life.
The new study, as well as increasing scientific evidence that supports the “warm little pond” hypothesis, may help advance our understanding of how life formed on Earth and the potential for extraterrestrial life in the universe.