NASA-supported researchers report new evidence about how early Earth obtained some elements needed to become habitable, proposing that Jupiter played a role in how these materials were distributed in the young solar system. The work, published in *Science Advances*, analyzes chemical clues from space rocks rather than from Earth directly. Specifically, the team examines the ratio of phosphorus to nitrogen in two types of meteorite materials: iron meteorites and “chondrites,” which are older compared to many modern meteorites and are considered representative of early solar system building blocks. By comparing measurements from these different materials, the researchers infer how phosphorus and nitrogen may have been delivered and mixed during the planet-formation period. The study links the pattern of phosphorus-to-nitrogen ratios to scenarios in which Jupiter’s gravity and evolving orbit helped redirect or redistribute certain elements, ultimately allowing Earth to receive a mix favorable for later development of habitable conditions. The results focus on element sourcing and distribution at about 4.5 billion years ago, when the solar system is thought to have been forming.