A recent study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal suggests that a real-life “Jurassic World” could potentially exist on other planets. Researchers argue that planets far away from Earth could be home to species resembling Earth’s dinosaurs, and humans may possess the capability to find them.
The study’s author, Lisa Kaltenegger, explained that Earth’s current light fingerprint has served as a basis for identifying potentially habitable planets. However, there was a time when this fingerprint was even more pronounced, providing better signs of life. Kaltenegger believes that by searching for compounds not present on Earth but existed during the age of dinosaurs, scientists can detect signs of life on other planets.
During the time of dinosaurs, Earth had significantly higher oxygen levels, around 30%, compared to the current 21%. This higher oxygen level allowed for the growth of complex creatures. The researchers argue that planets with similar conditions to what dinosaurs experienced can be detected using specialized telescopes.
One indicator scientists can look for is whether a planet is in a Phanerozoic stage, which would make it capable of hosting large and complex life forms. This stage represents the most recent 12% of Earth’s history, during which life was more complex than microbes and sponges. The hope is that this stage could make it easier to find signs of large and complex life forms elsewhere in the cosmos.
Kaltenegger suggests that searching for planets with higher oxygen levels could lead to the discovery of intriguing life forms and simplify the search for life. The possibility of finding planets with more oxygen than Earth also raises the exciting prospect of discovering other dinosaurs.
While the study opens up exciting possibilities for further exploration, it is important to note that these findings are speculative and require more research and evidence. Nonetheless, the idea of a real-life “Jurassic World” on other planets captures the imagination and fuels curiosity about the potential for life beyond Earth.
