Scientists confirm that parts of earliest genetic material may have come from the stars
by Eurek Alert



http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/icl-sct061308.php

Scientists confirm that parts of earliest genetic material may have come from the stars

Scientists have confirmed for the first time that an important component of early genetic material which has been found in meteorite fragments is extraterrestrial in origin, in a paper published on June 15, 2008

Scientists have confirmed for the first time that an important component of early genetic material which has been found in meteorite fragments is extraterrestrial in origin, in a paper published on 15 June 2008.

The finding suggests that parts of the raw materials to make the first molecules of DNA and RNA may have come from the stars.

The scientists, from Europe and the USA, say that their research, published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, provides evidence that life's raw materials came from sources beyond the Earth.

The materials they have found include the molecules uracil and xanthine, which are precursors to the molecules that make up DNA and RNA, and are known as nucleobases.

The team discovered the molecules in rock fragments of the Murchison meteorite, which crashed in Australia in 1969.

They tested the meteorite material to determine whether the molecules came from the solar system or were a result of contamination when the meteorite landed on Earth.

The analysis shows that the nucleobases contain a heavy form of carbon which could only have been formed in space. Materials formed on Earth consist of a lighter variety of carbon.

Lead author Dr Zita Martins, of the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, says that the research may provide another piece of evidence explaining the evolution of early life. She says:

"We believe early life may have adopted nucleobases from meteoritic fragments for use in genetic coding which enabled them to pass on their successful features to subsequent generations."

Between 3.8 to 4.5 billion years ago large numbers of rocks similar to the Murchison meteorite rained down on Earth at the time when primitive life was forming. The heavy bombardment would have dropped large amounts of meteorite material to the surface on planets like Earth and Mars.

Co-author Professor Mark Sephton, also of Imperial's Department of Earth Science and Engineering, believes this research is an important step in understanding how early life might have evolved. He added:

"Because meteorites represent left over materials from the formation of the solar system, the key components for life -- including nucleobases -- could be widespread in the cosmos. As more and more of life's raw materials are discovered in objects from space, the possibility of life springing forth wherever the right chemistry is present becomes more likely."

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For further information please contact:

Colin Smith
Press Officer
Imperial College London
Email: cd.smith@imperial.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)207 594 6712
Out of hours duty press officer: +44 (0)7803 886 248

Dr Zita Martins
Department of Earth Science and Engineering
South Kensington Campus
Imperial College London
London SW7 2AZ, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 9982
Fax: +44 (0)20 7594 7444
Email: z.martins@imperial.ac.uk
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/z.martins

Notes to editors:

1. "Extraterrestrial nucleobases in the Murchison meteorite", Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Sunday 15 June 2008 (Print publication)

A full copy of the research can be downloaded at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.03.026

Zita Martins (1,2), Oliver Botta (3,4,5), Marilyn L. Fogel (6), Mark A. Sephton (2), Daniel P. Glavin (3), Jonathan S. Watson (7), Jason P. Dworkin (3), Alan W. Schwartz (, Pascale Ehrenfreund (1,3)
(1) Astrobiology Laboratory, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
(2) Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
(3) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 699, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
(4) Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center, University of Maryland Baltimore, County, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
(5) International Space Science Institute, Hallerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
(6) GL, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA
(7) Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
( Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 ED, Nijmegen,The Netherlands

2. About Imperial College London

Imperial College London - rated the world's fifth best university in the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement University Rankings - is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 12,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture. Website: www.imperial.ac.uk

@Huxley: While you are a declared Atheist and or Agnotist, remember that the AlQur'an declared that Adam and Eve were created in heaven. Then they were sent down to earth to procreate. Of course, I noticed that the researchers are proponents of evolutions. But we see that their idea of Evolution is just an idea, without a proper proof. Instead they have helped, in this discovery to further bring about the Superior reality of creation from I.slamic view point.

Note that the Christians are pointing to a fictious plot of land, somewhere in Iraq. They called this land "Garden of Eve." Sometimes I feel like just asking them, to point to the exact plot of land and provide the Apple that they claimed Adam ate along with his wife. Not that they blame the "woman and they pointed to an apple tree." I wish they can tell us what happened to that Apple tree and what was Adam doing that a common snake can communicate with his wife to do terrible thing, in his absence?

And this snake was conny enough to get her to make him take a bite of the same thing!

When you are ready for guidance, go to Isla.m, which is the religion that will benefit you.

Just imagine if this discovery was made by a musl.im? Would people not say that there is a subtlepostulation to support the idea of creation in heavens?

So are the Mohamedans going to claims prescience on this matter? What if the scientific consensus on this matter changes. Are the Abrahamicist also going to drift towards the new consensus?

@Huxley: The first thing you must know, is that in the AlQur'an, it is clear that Adam was created first. Then Eve was created from materials taken from him. Both of them were created and them they were asked to enter the Garden of Paradise, to dwell in it. They were instructed that they should not come close to a tree in that garden, for they would have gone wrong, by doing it. (Note that all of this time they were still in heavens and never have been on earth.

At some time, later, Iblis was able to suggest to their hearts to do exactly that. As a result they were sent out of the Paradise in the heavens to the earth.

The issue is that when ever there is a discovery, in any field of knowledge (in the final analysis), I do not mean, during its exploratory stages, when the opinions may change, am saying that when the final pieces of the puzzle are finally assembled, it will agree with whats in the AlQur'an. The process may take many decades, or centuries or millennia.

What you will find is that I.slam does not negate true knowledge. Rather, true knowledge finds its source in it. There is no separation of any knowlege religion in I.slam.

Finally: There is nothing called Muhammadan or derivitive of it. I am not a Muhammadan, but a M.uslim. A Mus.lim, just like Prophet Mu.hammad (AS), himself. I do hope I make myself very clear.

Blah bla blah,
all to prove theres no God.
May the almighty have mercy on you.