add a comma or semicolon if needed. otherwise, submit the text without any additional punctuation.\nwe now…

add a comma or semicolon if needed. otherwise, submit the text without any additional punctuation.\nwe now know that life can exist in much harsher environments than previously believed\nconsequently, it is possible that extraterrestrial life forms live in places once thought\nuninhabitable.

add a comma or semicolon if needed. otherwise, submit the text without any additional punctuation.\nwe now know that life can exist in much harsher environments than previously believed\nconsequently, it is possible that extraterrestrial life forms live in places once thought\nuninhabitable.

Answer

Explanation:

To determine the correct punctuation, we analyze the relationship between the two independent clauses. The first clause is "We now know that life can exist in much harsher environments than previously believed" and the second is "consequently, it is possible that extraterrestrial life forms live in places once thought uninhabitable". Since "consequently" is a conjunctive adverb connecting two independent clauses, a semicolon should be used before "consequently" to separate the clauses properly.

Answer:

We now know that life can exist in much harsher environments than previously believed; consequently, it is possible that extraterrestrial life forms live in places once thought uninhabitable.