Meteorites are tool kits of life, claim scientists, according to articles in ScienceDaily 8 August 2011. A team of researchers at Goddard Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory have analysed samples from twelve carbon-rich meteorites and found they contained compounds known as nucleobases, which are found in DNA molecules. The team found two nucleobases, adenine and guanine, along with a number of similar molecules known as nucleobases analogues. They also found hypoxanthine and xanthine – two molecules not found in DNA but which are used in biological processes. The researchers took great care to ensure the meteorite material was not contaminated with biological chemicals from earth. Previous chemical analysis of meteorites has shown they can contain amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, as well as other organic molecules, but this is the first time scientists have been sure that meteorites also contained nucleobases. Jim Cleaves of Carnegie’s Geophysical Laboratory, one of the researchers, commented: “This shows us that meteorites may have been molecular tool kits, which provided the essential building blocks for life on Earth”.
Editorial Comment: It hits you in the eye really, or it should: tool kits don’t actually make anything unless there is a tool user, who is not part of the kit, but is outside the kit applying creative design to both the tools and the materials the tools are being used on. Finding two of the four nucleobases which are devoid of the coded information found in DNA molecules, does not actually explain where DNA came from or why arranging the non information containing base material in a particular way actually means anything. Even if we found all the component molecules of DNA, none of which contains coded information, this would not explain where the information needed to put them together in a meaningful code came from. (Ref. origin life, abiogenesis, biochemistry)
Evidence News 8 August 2011