Researchers studying microbial fossils inside South Korea’s Hapcheon impact crater have uncovered evidence that asteroid collisions may have helped early life thrive on Earth.

The crater’s hydrothermal lakes likely created oxygen-rich environments where ancient microorganisms could survive and evolve, potentially contributing to the Great Oxidation Event.

The discovery also strengthens the possibility that similar crater systems on Mars may once have supported microbial life, revealing how violent cosmic impacts can unexpectedly create the conditions necessary for biological evolution.

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