Implications for Astrobiology
As research continues in order to prove the Purple Earth Theory, scientists will also be in search of life in other planets. They don't want to be limited to the ideas based on the research done on Earth . One bio-marker used in astrobiology is the "red edge" produced by plants on Earth. Terrestrial vegetation absorbs most of the red light in the visible spectrum. Scientists have proposed the idea of using the small reflected light as an indicator of life on other planets. Yet if they focus on life based on a particular pigment such as chlorophyll they might miss the life on that planet if that planet is undergoing a stage of evolution.