I suspect there were just enough heavy elements to kick-start life at the microscopic level but I doubt there was enough for a sentient species to develop at th

I suspect there were just enough heavy elements to kick-start life at the microscopic level but I doubt there was enough for a sentient species to develop at that time. Then again all life could have originated at that time and just now got the chance to evolve into a sentient species. That would explain why a lot of comets and meteorites have the necessary building blocks of life in them.