AW: [meteorite-list] Fossils in meteorites / Hahn et al.

[Jörn Koblitz]

Hi Martin and List,

yeah, that's really a funny publication: Otto Hahn (not to confuse with the discoverer of nuclear fission, who lived half a century later) prepared two voluminous books (1,2) containing plates of very neat photographs of thin sections (mainly Knyahinya and Borkut). He misinterpreted these chondrules are fossils and found indications for ancient life almost everywhere in the stones he studied (and even in irons!). Very curious! Immediately after the publication, a number of other authors (e.g. C.Vogt (3) strongly opposed against Hahn's findings. Others like Weinland, who described corals and animal remains in meteorites supported him (4,5).

1) O. Hahn (1879) Die Urzelle, nebst dem Beweis, daß Granit, Gneiss, Serpentin, Talk, Sandstein, auch Basalt, endlich Meteorstein und Meteoreisen aus Pflanzen bestehen: die Entwicklungslehre durch Thatsachen neu begründet, Laupp'sche Vertragsbuchhandlung, Tübingen, 71 pp, 30 pls.

2) O. Hahn (1880) Die Meteorite (Chondrite) und ihre Organismen. Laupp'sche Vertragsbuchhandlung, Tübingen, 56 pp, 22 pls.

3) C. Vogt (1882) Sur les prétendus organismes des météorites, Mémoires de l'institut national Genevois 15, 55 pp., 3 pls.

4) D. F. Weinland (1881) Korallen in Meteorsteinen. Das Ausland 54, p.301-303 (Apr.17), 501-508 (Jun.27).

5) D. F. Weinland (1882) Über die in Meteoriten entdeckten Thierreste. G.Fröhmer, Esslingen, 12 pp.

Cheers,
Jörn / MetBase

PS: Above cited publications are in the MetBase library and I can send scanned images to those interested.


> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: Martinh [mailto:martinh at isu.edu]
> Gesendet: Dienstag, 16. November 2004 18:24
> An: Jörn Koblitz
> Cc: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Betreff: Re: AW: AW: [meteorite-list] Most important meteorite?
> 
> 
> Jörn kindly wrote:
> 
> "About 40 years ago, another group around Bartholomew Nagy announced 
> the recovery of extraterrestrial lifeforms in carbonaceous 
> chondrites..."
> 
> 
> Hello again,
> 
> And if one continues further back in time to 1879, Otto Hann 
> though he 
> found plant fossils in thin sections of Knyahinya and other 
> meteorites. 
> And before that, Carl A. Gumbel searched for organic structures in 
> carbonaceous chondrites, in particular Cold Bokkeveld and Kaba.
> 
> There is no shortage of important meteorites, and Allende is, 
> no doubt, 
> one of the most important stones ever both in shear quantity, 
> scientific importance, and fall timing. However, we must not 
> forget the 
> shoulders upon which we stand.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Martin H
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>