Advantages of the Alkanes ≥ N-C18 as Protectors for the Synthesis and Survival of Critical Biomolecules in the Early Earth

Abstract

The origin of life is hardly understandable in the adverse conditions of the early Earth (Maher & Stevenson 1988, Zahnle & Sleep 1997) unless the formation of different lengths of carbon compounds, as well as amino acids and primitive nucleobases aggregates, are conceived under the effect of a protective mechanism (Miller & Bada 1988, Bada et al. 1995, Levy & Miller 1998). However, temperatures ≤ 350°C were possible 3600 Myr ago due to the multiple impacts of ~ 14 km bolides (Lyons and Vasavada 1999) and the CO₂ greenhouse effects (Kasting & Ackerman 1986). During this age, hydrophobic coats of alkanes ≥ n-C₁₈ could served as protective mechanism and allowed the yield of long molecules avoiding its hydrolysis (Marcano et al. 1999).

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