How life could evolve in a Red Dwarf star system
From EvoWiki
On Earth it is believed that life originated or could have originated in caves or round Hydrothermal vents. If life evolved similarly in a Red dwarf star system life could adapt over millions of years to cope with stellar flares.
Life in caves could gradually adapt to exploit environments nearer to the cave mouth. In the course of this flares would increasingly become a problem. Life could gradually evolve defences. For example living organisms could evolve opaque protective shells. When they detect that a flare is starting they could retreat into their shells. Probably different organisms would evolve different mechanisms. Later when the protective mechanisms are sufficiently strong living organisms could live out in the open and evolve Photosynthesis.
Life round hydrothermal vents would face greater difficulties. Most hydrothermal vents are in deep oceans where there is no intermediate habitat between the vents and the ocean surface. On Earth in places like Hawaii and Iceland geological activity typical of hydrothermal vents happens in shallow water. In such places life could also gradually evolve protection against flares. Resistant organisms could colonize habitats where more susceptible competitors would be killed by flares. As resistance progressively evolved life could move progressively into shallower water where there is more light even between flares. Then again photosynthesis could evolve.
