Meteorite could have carried nitrogen to Earth

A meteorite found in Antarctica could lend weight to the argument that life on Earth was aided by an extraterrestrial body, scientists claim.

Chemical analysis of the meteorite shows it to be rich in the gas ammonia, which contains the element nitrogen – found in the amino and nucleic acids which form the basis of life.

Analysis of other meteorites has revealed organic compounds which the authors of the new paper believe are too complex to have played a role.

Details of the study by researchers at Arizona State University and the University of California, Santa Cruz, are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The new study is based on analysis of just under 4g of powder extracted from a meteorite called Grave Nunataks 95229 (named after its place of discovery in Antarctica).

The meteorite was found in 1995 and belongs to the “Renazzo” family of “carbonaceous chondrite” meteorites, a group of meteorites that retain much of their original composition and have not been melted by their parent body. They can contain high proportions of water and organic compounds.

The powder sample was shown to contain abundant amounts of ammonia as well as hydrocarbons (including the amino acids glycine and alanine).

Analysis of the isotopes of nitrogen and hydrogen found within the sample suggest the material originated from a “cold cosmic” environment, and were not the result of Earthly contaminants.