536 Annals New York Academy of Sciences 



Gaseous, liquid, and solid hydrocarbons were found to be present after treat- 

 ment with hydriodic acid.* 



In 1953, Mueller reanalyzed the Cold Bokkeveld stone. (This meteorite 

 had already been studied by Wohler.) Mueller extracted a soft resinous sub- 

 stance. Reactions of the organic matter with alkalies suggested that the 

 extract consisted basically of complex organic acids, containing some nitrogen, 

 sulfur, and halogen. It must be pointed out, however, that the high organic 

 halogen content has not yet been confirmed by other investigators. Mueller 

 searched for but could not detect graphite in the organic substance; on the other 

 hand, he observed 10 to 12 per cent crystalline sulfur. The Cold Bokkeveld 

 meteorite was found to contain water; rehydration experiments demonstrated 

 that this water was not a terrestrial contamination. This author also suggested 

 that the extract resembled humic acid. The author was able to reject the 

 carbide theory of hydrocarbon synthesis in meteorites on various experimental 

 grounds. An alternate theory was proposed by Mueller, namely, that carbona- 

 ceous chondrites are fragmental aggregates, and that the organic matter is the 

 result of low temperature condensation from the atmosphere of the meteorite 

 parent body. He concluded that the temperature of the meteorite never 

 exceeded 200 to 350° C. 



There are few analyses of the second type. In 1959, Sisler^ ran infrared 

 spectra on an extract of the Murray meteorite and recorded carbon-hydrogen 

 and the carbonyl absorptions. Calvin^" obtained water extracts from Murray 

 and Orgueil. The extracts probably contained some hydrocarbons and hetero- 

 cyclic bases. It was reported that the ultraviolet absorption curves of the 

 extracts, taken at different pH values, showed that there was a pH sensitive 

 absorption at the wave length corresponding to the cytosine absorption. 

 Amino acid analysis led to negative results; on the other hand, mass spectro- 

 scopical data showed what may have been hydrocarbons containing up to 12 

 carbon atoms. 



Boato's study" of the distribution of the hydrogen and carbon isotopes in 

 carbonaceous chondrites is of considerable interest. This author found that 

 vvater, which was distilled from Orgueil, Murray, Ivuna, and Mokoia in vacuo 

 and above 180° C. temperature, showed hydrogen isotope ratios that were 

 definitely outside the terrestrial range. On the other hand the water which 

 was distilled below 180° C. seemed to be a terrestrial contamination. Carbon 

 isotope ratios were found to be similar to those on earth. Although Boato 

 thought that the carbon compounds could not be derived from living things, 

 the C^^ depletion in the Orgueil meteorite which he observed is typical of the 

 depletions found in some marine organisms. The author pointed out that 

 carbonaceous chondrites are heterogeneous bodies, and suggested that the 

 meteorite organic matter is indigenous. 



In a recent pubUcation^^ tj^g results of an analysis of organic matter in the 

 Orgueil meteorite were reported. Saturated hydrocarbon groups were identi- 

 fied, some of which contained up to 29 carbon atoms per molecule. The 



* Berthelot's original statement reads: J'ai applique la meme methode a la matiere char- 

 bonneuse de la meteorite d'Orgueil. J'ai reproduit, en effet, quoique plus peniblemenl qu'ayec 

 la houille, une proportion notable de carbures formeniques, C2"H-"+2, comparables aux huiles 

 de petrole." 



