自组装的二氧化碳酸盐结构和古代微化石的检测
J M García-Ruiz1, S T Hyde, A M Carnerup
1Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Universidad de Granada, Facultad de Ciencias, Campus de Fuentenueva 18002, Granada, Spain.
概括
无机合成产生了复杂的螺旋状微结构,类似于古代的微化石. 这些发现挑战了早期生命证据的生物起源,表明非生物材料可以模仿生命形式.
科学领域:
- 地质化学 地质化学
- 天体生物学 天体生物学
- 古生物学的古生物学
背景情况:
- 前坎布里亚时代的瓦拉沃纳沙丘形成中含有被认为是最古老的陆地微化石.
- 这些微化石通常归因于蓝藻细菌.
- 这些结构的生物起源一直受到争议.
研究的目的:
- 为了合成模仿所谓古老微化石的无机微结构.
- 研究复杂微观结构的非生物形成的潜力.
- 挑战某些地质微观结构的生物性假设.
主要方法:
- 合成微米大小的无机纤维与覆盖的纳米大小的碳酸盐晶体.
- 观察强烈的定向顺序和非晶体,螺旋形态.
- 有机碳化合物的凝结和聚合到合成的纤维上.
主要成果:
- 成功合成了具有生物学相关形态的无机纤维.
- 证明这些无机结构在形态上与公认的生物原材料相同.
- 表明有机化合物可以在这些非生物结构上形成煤产品.
结论:
- 无生物合成可以产生复杂的微观结构,无法与生物微生物化石区分开来.
- 这些发现质疑了一些古代微化石证据的解释.
- 表明某些以前被认为是生物的复杂微观结构的潜在无机起源.
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