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Index
A
as catalysts, 283
chirality, 167, 168, 172, 176, 181,
Abiosignatures, 31, 67, 68
183, 277
Acetate, 207, 208, 209–210, 211, 212, 283
in hydrothermal environments, 98,
Aconitate, 211, 212
108–111, 115, 264, 269
Adenine, 91, 195, 231
long-chain, 117, 135
Adenine–naphthalene–imide molecule,
macromolecule formation, 156
194
and metabolic protolife, 199, 200,
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), 64, 276,
201, 202, 210
281
from meteorites, 123–124, 271, 274,
Aerosol life, 151–153, 275
277
Akilia rocks, 59–60, 258
Miller–Urey experiment, 86–90, 91,
Alanine, 108–109, 168, 208
93, 112, 262, 263
Alaska, Arctic “patterned grounds,” 22
mineral bonding to, 115–116, 268
Alberts, Bruce, 268
peptide formation, 117, 124, 194,
Allamandola, Louis, 122, 146, 148–149,
222
223, 262, 270
polymerization on mineral surfaces,
Allan Hills meteorites, 33–37, 45, 62, 70,
157, 158, 199, 207
72–73, 254, 255
racemization, 181, 278
Altman, Sidney, 216–217
sample preparation, 183–184
Aluminum, 159, 160, 162, 277
Strecker synthesis, 91
Alvin (submersible), 1, 96–97
thioester bonding, 202
Alzheimer’s disease, 19
from ultracold reactions, 92
Ambulocetus, 78, 79
Ammonia, 87, 89, 91, 92, 93, 108, 115,
Amherst College, 70
118, 134, 205, 208, 261, 262
Amino acids, 64, 75. See also individual Ant colonies, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20
amino acids
Antarctic Search for Meteorites
antiquity of, 131
program, 254
323
324
INDEX
Anthracene, 69–71
Bak, Per, 16
Antibody tests for microbe fossils, 74–
Bangham, Alex, 144, 146
75
Barbrook, Adrian, 137
Apatite, 59
Baross, John, 97–98, 99, 264
Apex Chert fossils, xi, 39–45, 55, 56, 255
Bartel, David, 238
Arabinose, 136
Basilosaurus, 78, 79
Archaea, 139–141
Behe, Michael, 80
Archean eon, 39, 189, 262, 264, 275, 276
Belousov–Zhabotinski systems, 248
Aristotle, 83
Bénard cells, 248
Armstrong, Karen, 129, 272
Benner, Steven, 261
Arrhenius, Gustaf, 159–160, 252, 258,
Bernal, John Desmond, 157, 276
262, 267
Bernstein, Max, 223, 287–288
Artificial intelligence, 27
Biofilms, x, 72. See also Flat life
Artificially Expanded Genetic
Biomolecules
Information System (AEGIS),
antibodies, 74
287
antiquity of, 131
Aspartic acid, 176–185
assembly, 1, 62, 110–111, 127, 167;
Asteroids, 31–32, 36, 105, 123–124, 139,
see also Macromolecules
141, 253–254
from asteroid, meteor, or comet
Atmospheric aerosols, 151–153, 275
impact, 123–124, 271
Australian Centre for Astrobiology, 55,
emergence of, 81–127
56
essential elements, 85
Australian Geological Survey
evolution, 81, 113, 117–118
Organisation, 65
handedness, 64, 136; see also
Australian National University, 146
Chirality and chiral molecules
Autocatalytic
hydrocarbons, 61–62, 64
cycle, 202
hydrothermal origins and, 110–111
networks, 197–198, 280
from igneous rock, 124–126
vesicles, 144
key compounds, 134–135, 153, 208
Autotrophic life, 112, 139, 141, 205–
Miller–Urey experiment, 86–90, 91,
206, 281, 282
93
Awramik, Stan, 256
minimal concentration, 19
modular design, 134
multiple-source hypothesis, 127, 272
B
number of compounds, 61, 110–111
polycyclic carbon compounds, 62–
Bacteria, x. See also Microbes
63, 64, 65–67, 69–71
genetic engineering, 136–137
productive environments, 121–127
magnetotactic, 35, 36
self-organization, 81, 86, 117, 142,
organic molecules in E. coli, 272
170
photosynthesizing, 55, 67; see also
self-replicating, 86, 169, 172
Cyanobacteria
signatures of life, 64, 65–67
phylogenetic analysis, 139–140
space origins, 121–123
testing fossils for, 40
stability, 64, 68, 71
Bada, Jeffrey, 87, 107, 109–110, 113, 262,
sterols, 63–64, 65, 68, 70, 75
271, 278–279
INDEX
325
synthesis pathways, 63–64, 86–90,
C-12:C-13 ratio, 53–59, 67–68, 257,
91, 210
258
ultracold environments, 92, 122–123
electron microprobe analysis of
Biosignatures
fossils, 49–53
anthracene:phenanthrene ratio, 69–
Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, 43, 118
71
fixation, 117–119
C-12:C-13 isotope ratio, 53–59, 67–
in hydrothermal conditions, 3–8
68, 258
inorganic vs. organic, 42–43, 131,
hopanes, 65–67, 68
135–136
ideal characteristics, 68
isotope analysis, 53–59, 257
molecular, 64, 65–71
mapping fossils, 49–53, 55, 257
oldest markers, 66–67
polycyclic compounds, 62–63, 64,
Biosphere 2, 99
65–67, 69–71
Black chert fossils, 39, 43, 49, 51, 55–56
Raman spectroscopy, 43
Blank, Jennifer, 123–124
Carbon dioxide, 3, 93, 108, 110–111,
Blue marl, 17–18
117, 118, 205, 206, 207, 208, 210,
BOIDS program, 15, 249
211, 262
Bovine serum albumin (BSA), 74
Carbon monoxide, 113, 118, 122, 148
Boyce, Kevin, 51, 53
Carbonate minerals, 34–35, 36, 54
Brain, hum
an, 14, 20–21. See also
Carboxylic acids, 125–126
Consciousness
Carnegie Institution Department of
Brandes, Jay, 115
Terrestrial Magnetism, 179–180
Brasier, Martin, xi, 40–44, 256, 257
Carnegie Institution Geophysical
Briggs, Derek, 257
Laboratory, xii, 2, 90, 108
British Nuclear Fuels Ltd., 72
carbon isotope analysis, 56–57
Burgess Shale, 54, 70, 257
detector for Martian life, 75
electron microprobe analysis of
fossils, 49–52
C
gold-tube experiments, 4–6, 108,
118, 207, 211
Cairns-Smith, A. G. (Graham), 160–
lecturers, 104–105, 114, 256
164, 171, 216, 249, 276–277
work environment, 73
Calcite, 174–186
Catalysts, 3
Calcium, 151, 159
amino acids as, 283
California Institute of Technology, 126,
enzymes, 210
199
minerals as, 118–119
Calvert Cliffs Miocene formations, 17–
small molecule, 283
18, 250
Catastrophists, 28, 253
Cambridge University, 137, 146
Cech, Thomas, 216–217
The Canterbury Tales, 137–138, 273
Cellular life, 131, 152, 189, 239, 253
Carbohydrates, 96, 135, 153, 156, 202
Cellulose, 273
Carbon. See also individual compounds
Center for Radiophysics and Space
Akilia rock formation, 59–60
Research, 102
biogenic coals, 70, 258
Central European University, 99
biomolecular assembly, 1, 131
Cerion (Bahamian land snail), 181–182,
185–186
326
INDEX
Chance versus necessity, xiii–xiv, 191,
Clay life
247
“crystal genes,” 161–162, 164, 165
Chaucer, Geoffrey, 137, 138
evolution and natural selection,
Chemolithoautotroph, 282
160–161, 163, 164
Chirality and chiral molecules
experiments, 157–158, 276
amino acids, 167, 168, 172, 176, 181,
hypothesis, 160–164, 276–277
183, 277
testable features of, 164–165
beta decay events and, 168, 278
Cleland, Carol, 30
calcite–amino acid experiments,
Climate change, 181
176–186
Clinton administration, 34, 254
chromatographic analysis, 177–179
CO dehydrogenase, 284
dating applications, 181, 182