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The Organic Geochemistry of Carbonaceous Meteorites

Amino Acids and Stable Isotopes

  • Chapter
Organic Geochemistry

Part of the book series: Topics in Geobiology ((TGBI,volume 11))

Abstract

The stable carbon isotope record of bulk organic matter (i.e., kerogen) in ancient rock samples indicates that living systems may have existed on Earth 3.5 billion years ago (e.g., Schidlowski, 1987,1988,1991). It is generally accepted that life originated on the Earth and that organic compounds deemed essential for its origin, for example, amino acids, formed via prebiotic mechanisms prior to this event. Thus, an appreciation of the distribution, stereochemistry, and stable isotope compositions of amino acids in ancient terrestrial and extraterrestrial systems is of fundamental importance with respect to (1) evaluating mechanisms for prebiotic organic synthesis at the time of (and perhaps prior to) the formation of the solar system (e.g., Ferris, 1984; Cronin et al., 1988; OrĂ³ et al., 1990), (2) determining the potential contribution of extraterrestrial organic matter to Earth via comet and meteorite bombardment (e.g., Nagy, 1985; Nagy et al., 1987; Zhao and Bada, 1989; Zahnle and Grinspoon, 1990; Chyba et al., 1990; Chyba and Sagan, 1992), and (3) understanding the nature of the organic compounds available for the origin of the first living systems on Earth (e.g., Mullie and Reisse, 1987; Miller, 1992, and this volume, Chapter 30).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA

    Michael H. Engel

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22903, USA

    Stephen A. Macko

  3. Department of Geosciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA

    Bartholomew Nagy

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  1. Michael H. Engel
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  2. Stephen A. Macko
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  3. Bartholomew Nagy
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

    Michael H. Engel

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    Stephen A. Macko

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Engel, M.H., Macko, S.A., Nagy, B. (1993). The Organic Geochemistry of Carbonaceous Meteorites. In: Engel, M.H., Macko, S.A. (eds) Organic Geochemistry. Topics in Geobiology, vol 11. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2890-6_33

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