2019 Volume 128 Issue 4 Pages 513-548
Several models of the birthplace of life have long been proposed and discussed. However, those discussions are chaotic. To test the birthplace models, we introduce nine requirements that must be met for the emergence of life. These requirements are: (1) energy source (ionizing radiation and thermal energy), (2) supplies of nutrients such as phosphorus and potassium, (3) supplies of main life constituent elements (C, H, O, and N), (4) condensed reducing gas, (5) dry wet cycle, (6) Na poor water, (7) clean lacustrine environment, (8) diversified surface environment, and (9) cyclic nature. Based on these nine requirements, most proposed birthplaces, such as the mid-oceanic ridge hydrothermal system, do not meet the requirements for life to emerge. The only possible site is a nuclear geyser system. Under the Hadean surface environment, sites satisfying the nine requirements are extremely limited because it is significantly difficult to meet the nine requirements, including extrinsic conditions. This difficulty to fulfill all the requirements indicates that only one site is the birthplace of life on Hadean Earth.
