The researchers report that under certain conditions there is a high probability that life came to Earth -- or spread from Earth to other planets -- during the solar system’s infancy when Earth and its planetary neighbours orbiting other stars would have been close enough to each other to exchange lots of solid material.

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The findings provide the strongest support yet for lithopanspermia, the hypothesis that basic life forms are distributed throughout the universe via meteorite-like planetary fragments cast forth by disruptions such as volcanic eruptions and collisions with objects such as asteroids.

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Eventually, another planetary system’s gravity traps these roaming rocks, which can result in a mingling that transfers any living cargo.

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