Title: New Study Suggests “Jurassic World” Could Exist on Other Planets
By Michael Lee, Fox News
Published Nov. 18, 2023, 3:09 p.m. ET
A new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal has raised the possibility of a real-life “Jurassic World” existing on other planets.
According to the study, planets far away from Earth could potentially be harboring species that resemble Earth’s dinosaurs. The researchers argue that humans may currently have the ability to find these dinosaur-like species by searching for compounds that were present during the age of the dinosaurs but are not currently present on Earth. Specifically, the study points to the fact that Earth had higher levels of oxygen, about 30%, during the time of the dinosaurs, allowing for the growth of complex creatures. Today, Earth’s oxygen levels have leveled off to 21%.
The researchers suggest that by using special telescopes to detect conditions similar to what dinosaurs confronted millions of years ago, scientists may be able to identify planets that could host large and complex life forms.
One crucial clue the scientists can search for is whether a planet is in a Phanerozoic stage, which would allow a planet to host large and complex life forms. This has led to hope that it might be easier to find signs of life – even large, complex life – elsewhere in the cosmos.
Study author Lisa Kaltenegger emphasized the potential significance of this research, expressing hope that the search for planets with higher levels of oxygen could lead to the discovery of interesting life forms while also making the search for life easier.
“Hopefully we’ll find some planets that happen to have more oxygen than Earth right now because that will make the search for life just a little bit easier,” Kaltenegger stated. “And, who knows, maybe there are other dinosaurs waiting to be found.”
The implications of this study are significant, as it opens up the prospect of discovering new and unique forms of life on other planets. The search for extraterrestrial life continues to captivate scientists and the public alike, and this study provides another compelling avenue for exploration.