Molecular evidence for life in the 3.5 billion year old Warrawoona chert

Details Molecular evidence for life in the 3.5 billion year old Warrawoona chert Molecular evidence for life in the 3.5 billion year old Warrawoona chert

Jul 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008e%26psl.272..476d&link_type=abstract

Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 272, Issue 1-2, p. 476-480.

Mathematics

Logic

7

Scientific paper

The biological origin of organic matter in the oldest siliceous sediments (cherts) is still debated. To address this issue, the insoluble organic matter (kerogen) was isolated from a chert of the Warrawoona group. The chemical structure of the kerogen was investigated through a combination of analytical techniques including solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance and pyrolysis. Although dominated by aromatic hydrocarbons, the pyrolysate comprises a homologous series of long chain aliphatic hydrocarbons characterized by odd-over-even carbon number predominance. This distribution is only consistent with a biological origin. As kerogen must be contemporaneous of the solidification of the chert, this observation should be regarded as an evidence for the presence of life on Earth, 3.5 By ago.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Molecular evidence for life in the 3.5 billion year old Warrawoona chert does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Molecular evidence for life in the 3.5 billion year old Warrawoona chert, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Molecular evidence for life in the 3.5 billion year old Warrawoona chert will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1832261