Boron enrichment in martian clay

We have detected a concentration of boron in martian clay far in excess of that in any previously reported extra-terrestrial object. This enrichment indicates that the chemistry necessary for the formation of ribose, a key component of RNA, could have existed on Mars since the formation of early cla...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2013-06, Vol.8 (6), p.e64624-e64624
Main Authors: Stephenson, James D, Hallis, Lydia J, Nagashima, Kazuhide, Freeland, Stephen J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum Silicates - chemistry
Astrobiology
Astronomical Sciences
Biology
Boron
Boron - analysis
Clay
Clay minerals
Earth
Earth (Planet)
Earth Sciences
Enrichment
Exobiology
Extraterrestrial Environment - chemistry
Geology
Life on Earth
Mars
Mars (Planet)
Mars exploration
Meteors & meteorites
Mineralogy
Monosaccharides
Origin of Life
Plate tectonics
Ribonucleic acid
Ribose
RNA
Tectonics
Terrestrial environments
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Summary:We have detected a concentration of boron in martian clay far in excess of that in any previously reported extra-terrestrial object. This enrichment indicates that the chemistry necessary for the formation of ribose, a key component of RNA, could have existed on Mars since the formation of early clay deposits, contemporary to the emergence of life on Earth. Given the greater similarity of Earth and Mars early in their geological history, and the extensive disruption of Earth's earliest mineralogy by plate tectonics, we suggest that the conditions for prebiotic ribose synthesis may be better understood by further Mars exploration.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0064624