I think about this often in relation to stromatolites[0]. The earliest evidence of life on Earth ranges from immediately after liquid water appeared on the surf

I think about this often in relation to stromatolites[0]. The earliest evidence of life on Earth ranges from immediately after liquid water appeared on the surface to one billion years after, depending on whether or not you think the specific evidence is of abiotic origin. That's a big range! If life appeared within a few million years of liquid water, it has huge implications for the probability of life elsewhere in the universe. [0]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stromatolite https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stromatolite