Tenuta S, Evans K A, Reddy S M, Tutolo B M, Rickard W D A, Saxey D W
School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1985, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia.
Geoscience Atom Probe Facility, John de Laeter Centre, Curtin University, GPO Box U1985, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 1;15(1):22452. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-04161-7.
Hydrogen-rich, high pH conditions associated with serpentinisation are fundamental to some theories of the origin of life on Earth and other planets. In these theories, the first life formed in hydrothermal vents from organic compounds produced by metal-catalysed reduction of carbon dioxide and nitrate by hydrogen. Competing theories suggest that life could not have arisen without hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and that HCN was provided by vaporisation of large impactors. Here, we show that carbon- and nitrogen-bearing species are associated with chalcopyrite and native copper in serpentinised peridotite from the Wadi Tayin Ophiolite, Oman. We propose a model in which serpentinisation produces hydrogen that reduces copper in chalcopyrite to form native copper, and reduces oxidised carbon and nitrogen to form reduced carbon and nitrogen. In this model, reduction of carbon and nitrogen is catalysed by copper, and previously undocumented nanolayers of silver within metallic copper may enhance catalytic properties in natural systems. Microbial involvement is consistent with microstructural observations, documented microbial activity and isotopic data within the Wadi Tayin Ophiolite. However, similar features can form abiotically. Our discovery establishes spatial links among components believed to have supported the emergence of life. Further, mineral-hosted CN-species provide a previously unconsidered reservoir of nitrogen within serpentinites, which may deliver nitrogen to the deep mantle via subduction.
与蛇纹石化作用相关的富氢、高pH值条件是地球和其他行星上一些生命起源理论的基础。在这些理论中，最初的生命在热液喷口中由金属催化氢气还原二氧化碳和硝酸盐产生的有机化合物形成。与之竞争的理论认为，没有氰化氢（HCN）生命就不可能出现，并且HCN是由大型撞击体的汽化提供的。在此，我们表明，在阿曼瓦迪塔因蛇绿岩的蛇纹石化橄榄岩中，含碳和含氮物种与黄铜矿和自然铜有关。我们提出了一个模型，其中蛇纹石化作用产生氢气，氢气将黄铜矿中的铜还原形成自然铜，并将氧化态的碳和氮还原形成还原态的碳和氮。在这个模型中，碳和氮的还原由铜催化，并且金属铜中以前未记录的银纳米层可能会增强自然系统中的催化性能。微生物的参与与微观结构观察、记录的微生物活动以及瓦迪塔因蛇绿岩中的同位素数据一致。然而，类似的特征也可能非生物形成。我们的发现建立了被认为支持生命出现的各组分之间的空间联系。此外，矿物承载的含CN物种在蛇纹岩中提供了一个以前未被考虑的氮库，它可能通过俯冲作用将氮输送到深部地幔。
