Scientists Pinpoint Possible "Sweet Spot" for Life's Origins 4.33 Billion Years Ago

By simulating a billion years of Earth's history, researchers at the Planetary Science Institute identified a window between 4.4 and 4.3 billion years ago when impacts stopped sterilizing the crust and hydrothermal systems became widespread. Optimal conditions for prebiotic RNA World chemistry emerged around 4.33 billion years ago.

• Global crust sterilization continued until about 4.4 billion years ago
• Optimal conditions for prebiotic chemistry arose around 4.33 billion years ago
• By 4.25 billion years, never-sterilized regions covered over half the crust
• The model was published in Nature Communications on September 22, 2026