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Scientists suggest that a supernova explosion that occurred 2-3 million years ago may have influenced the evolution of viruses in Africa's Lake Tanganyika. The study, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, indicates a possible connection between increased radiation on Earth due to a cosmic explosion and viral mutations, writes IFL Science.
When a supernova explodes, it releases a huge amount of energy and particles into space that can reach Earth. Scientists have discovered an isotope of iron-60 that could have reached our planet through this cosmic cataclysm. Its impact, the researchers suggest, was not enough to cause a mass extinction, but it could have caused an increase in mutation rates in viruses.
Modeling suggests that this supernova exploded about 200 light-years away, in the Toucan-Horoscope association, and that over the next 10 years, the increased radiation may have stimulated changes in viruses. If confirmed, this hypothesis could change our understanding of the factors that influence the development of life on Earth.
Although a direct link between the supernova explosion and the virus mutations has not yet been proven, both events occurred at the same time. To finally confirm the theory, scientists plan to look for similar traces of mutations in other regions of the planet.
Scientists suggest that a supernova explosion that occurred 2-3 million years ago may have influenced the evolution of viruses in Africa's Lake Tanganyika. The study, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, indicates a possible connection between increased radiation on Earth due to a cosmic explosion and viral mutations, writes IFL Science.
When a supernova explodes, it releases a huge amount of energy and particles into space that can reach Earth. Scientists have discovered an isotope of iron-60 that could have reached our planet through this cosmic cataclysm. Its impact, the researchers suggest, was not enough to cause a mass extinction, but it could have caused an increase in mutation rates in viruses.
Modeling suggests that this supernova exploded about 200 light-years away, in the Toucan-Horoscope association, and that over the next 10 years, the increased radiation may have stimulated changes in viruses. If confirmed, this hypothesis could change our understanding of the factors that influence the development of life on Earth.
Although a direct link between the supernova explosion and the virus mutations has not yet been proven, both events occurred at the same time. To finally confirm the theory, scientists plan to look for similar traces of mutations in other regions of the planet.
