Earth to Venus

[Gian]

If microbial life is discovered in Venus' atmosphere, and samples are collected, will science be able to tell us whether its ancestry somehow found its way there from Earth, or whether it's definitely a product of abiogenesis on Venus?

Thanks

GIAN 🙂

[Endy0816]

If genetics were similar that might argue for a common origin.

[StringJunky]

If the handedness of the glucose molecule they use/produce was different to that on Earth, that would confirm a different origin.

Edited September 25, 2020 by StringJunky

[Gian]

Cheerz

Gian x

[joigus]

1 hour ago, StringJunky said:

If the handedness of the glucose molecule they use/produce was different to that on Earth, that would confirm a different origin.

That seems right. But that's a sufficient condition.

Suppose the 20 aminoacids were the same, and all the molecules had the same handedness.

How would we know which forms of life came first? Maybe we would have to go to genetic trees, as @Endy0816 suggests...

[StringJunky]

1 minute ago, joigus said:

That seems right. But that's a sufficient condition.

Suppose the 20 aminoacids were the same, and all the molecules had the same handedness.

How would we know which forms of life came first? Maybe we would have to go to genetic trees, as @Endy0816 suggests...

Yes, genetics would seem to be the obvious route. 

[dimreepr]

16 hours ago, Endy0816 said:

If genetics were similar that might argue for a common origin.

It may also argue for the only viable answer to life.

[Endy0816]

1 hour ago, dimreepr said:

It may also argue for the only viable answer to life.

Yes, that is a distinct possibility as well.