[meteorite-list] High Levels of Formic Acid in Tagish Lake

[Jerry Flaherty]

Formic acid----Ants right??????

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From: "Galactic Stone & Ironworks" <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 9:32 AM
To: "Meteorite List" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Subject: [meteorite-list] High Levels of Formic Acid in Tagish Lake

> http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=28594
> 
> 
> Space rock yields answers about origins of life on Earth
> 
> PRESS RELEASE
> Date Released: Saturday, June 27, 2009
> Source: University of British Columbia
> 
> Edmonton-Formic acid, a compound implicated in the origins of life,
> has been found at record levels on a meteorite that fell onto a frozen
> Canadian lake in 2000.
> 
> Chris Herd, a professor in the University of Alberta's Department of
> Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and curator of the university's
> meteorite collection, presented his research findings at the 2009
> American Geophysical Union joint assembly in Toronto at the end of
> May.
> 
> Herd conducted his analysis on the Tagish Lake Meteorite, which he has
> described as being possibly the "most important rock that's ever been
> found anywhere on the Earth."
> The U of A scientist found levels of formic acid that were four times
> higher than had previously been recorded on a meteorite. Formic acid
> is one of a group of compounds dubbed "organics" because they are rich
> in carbon. This compound is also commonly associated with ants and
> bees because of its presence in their venom.
> 
> Herd said the delivery of formic acid and other carboxylic acids to
> the early Earth by meteorites like the one that fell on Tagish Lake in
> northern British Columbia would have provided the components needed
> for life, especially the fatty acids that are an important part of
> cell walls.
> 
> He said the ultimate source of formic acid may be interstellar space
> as this and related compounds have been observed astronomically in
> cold, molecular clouds as well as in comets.
> 
> The Tagish Lake meteorite fell on the frozen surface of a northern
> B.C. lake in the middle of January and was collected without being
> touched by human hands. It represents the most pristine sample of
> minerals from outer space. Samples of the meteorite, totalling 850
> grams, were collected from Tagish Lake and purchased in 2006 by a
> research consortium that included the University of Alberta.
> 
> "We are lucky that the meteorite was untouched by humans hands,
> avoiding contamination by organic compounds that we have on our
> fingers," said Herd. "This meteorite can tell us new information about
> the birth and evolution of our solar system, and the very fact that
> it's been kept frozen, essentially pristine, uncontaminated by human
> hands, gives us an unprecedented opportunity to explore new scientific
> avenues that were heretofore impossible.
> 
> "We can do things with this meteorite that nobody's ever done before."
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> .........................................................
> Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA)
> Member of the Meteoritical Society.
> Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network.
> Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com
> ..........................................................
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