Skip to main content
Log in

Evidence for Extraterrestrial Amino-acids and Hydrocarbons in the Murchison Meteorite

  • Article
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Organic molecules found in meteorites seem to have been formed before the meteorites reached Earth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Oparin, A. I., Proischogdenie Zhizni. (Moscovsky Robotchii, Moscow, 1924).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Haldane, J. B. S., Rationalist Ann., 148 (1928).

  3. The Origin of Life on Earth (edit. by Oparin, A. I.) (Pergamon, Oxford, 1959).

  4. The Origins of Prebiological Systems and of Their Molecular Matrices (edit. by Fox, S. W.) (Academic Press, 1965).

  5. Proc. Third Intern. Conf. on the Origin of Life, Pont-a-Mousson, France (1970) (edit. by Buvet, R., and Ponnamperuma, C.) (North-Holland, Amsterdam, in the press).

  6. Ponnamperuma, C., and Gabel, N. W., Space Life Sci., 1, 64 (1968).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lemmon, R. M., Chem. Rev., 70, 95 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cheung, A. C., Rank, D. M., Townes, C. H., Thornton, D. D., and Welch, W. J., Nature, 221, 626 (1969).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Snyder, L. E., and Buhl, D., Astrophys. J., 155, L65 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Cheung, A. C., Rank, D. M., Townes, C. H., Thornton, D. D., and Welch, W. J., Phys. Rev. Lett., 21, 1701 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Snyder, L. E., and Buhl, D., IAU Circular, No. 2251 (1970).

  12. Snyder, L. E., Buhl, D., Zuckerman, B., and Palmer, P., Phys. Rev. Lett., 22, 679 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Wilson, R. W., Jefferts, K. B., and Penzias, A. A., Astrophys. J., 161, L43 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Turner, B. E., IAU Circular, 2268 (1970).

  15. Johnson, F. M., Proc. Regional Symp. on Planetary Geology and Geophysics (Amer. Astron. Soc. and New England Academic Community, 1967).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Donn, B., Astrophys. J., 152, L129 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Donn, B., in Exobiology (edit. by Ponnamperuma, C.) (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Lunar Science Conference, Science , 167, 751 (1970).

  19. Chang, S., Kvenvolden, K., Lawless, J., Ponnamperuma, C., and Kaplan, I. R. (in the press).

  20. Hayes, J. M., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 31, 1395 (1967).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Nagy, B., Geol. for Förhandlingar (Stockholm), 88, 235 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Studier, M. H., Hayatsu, R., and Anders, E., Science, 149, 1455 (1965).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Berzelius, J. J., Ann. Phys. Chem., 33, 113 (1834).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Wöhler, M. F., and Hörnes, M., Sitzber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math. naturw. Kl., 34, 7 (1859).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Berthelot, M., CR Acad. Sci., 67, 849 (1868).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Hamilton, P. B., Nature, 205, 284 (1965).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Oro, J., and Skewes, H. B., Nature, 207, 1042 (1965).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Rep. Center for Shortlived Phenomena, No. 779 (Smithsonian Inst., Cambridge, Mass., 1969).

  29. Gil-Av, E., Charles, R., and Fischer, G., J. Chromatog., 17, 408 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Pollock, G. E., Oyama, V. I., and Johnson, R. O., J. Gas Chromatog., 3, 174 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Pollock, G. E., and Oyama, V. I., J. Gas Chromatog., 4, 126 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Kvenvolden, K. A., Peterson, E., and Brown, F. S., Science, 169, 1079 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Gelpi, E., Koenig, W. A., Gibert, J., and Oro, J., J. Chromatog. Sci., 7, 604 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Kaplan, I. R., Degens, E. T., and Reuter, J. H., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 27, 805 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Nakaparksin, S., Diss. Abst., 70–4495, 4016B (1970).

  36. Miller, S. L., and Urey, H. C., Science, 130, 245 (1959).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Murphy, M. T. J., in Organic Geochemistry, Methods and Results (edit. by Eglinton and Murphy), 75 (Springer-Verlag, 1969).

    Google Scholar 

  38. Ponnamperuma, C., Woeller, F., Flores, J., Romiez, M., and Allen, W. V., ACS Adv. Chem., 80, 280 (1969).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Smith, J. W., and Kaplan, I. R., Science, 167, 1367 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Degens, E. T., Geochemistry of Sediments (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1965).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  41. Silverman, S. R., in Isotopic and Cosmic Chemistry (edit. by Craig, H., Miller, S. L., and Warserburg, G. J.) (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1964).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

KVENVOLDEN, K., LAWLESS, J., PERING, K. et al. Evidence for Extraterrestrial Amino-acids and Hydrocarbons in the Murchison Meteorite. Nature 228, 923–926 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/228923a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/228923a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Navigation