First Steps in the Origin of Life in the Universe: Proceedings of the Sixth Trieste Conference on Chemical Evolution Trieste, Italy 18–22 September, 2000

Front Matter....Pages i-xx
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Peptide Nucleic Acids as a Possible Primordial Genetic Polymer....Pages 3-10
Front Matter....Pages 11-11
Physics and Life....Pages 13-20
Front Matter....Pages 21-21
Solution to Darwins Dilemma: Discovery of the Missing Precambrian Record of Life....Pages 23-23
Front Matter....Pages 25-25
Europa: Prospects for an Ocean and Life....Pages 27-34
Front Matter....Pages 35-36
Sidney Walter Fox....Pages 37-38
Theories on Origins of Life between 1860 and 1900....Pages 39-42
Reminiscences-Pont-A-Mousson-1970 to Trieste-2000....Pages 43-46
Front Matter....Pages 47-47
Materials for “First Steps” in Evolution....Pages 49-53
Origin and Persistence of Genetic Material in Prebiotic Habitats. The Possible Role of Nucleic Acid-Clay Complexes....Pages 55-58
Chemical Evolution Studies in Organic Compounds Adsorbed in Clays....Pages 59-63
From Inanimate Macromolecules to the Animate Photocell....Pages 65-68
HPLC Evidence of Nonrandomness in Thermal Proteins....Pages 69-72
IR Spectra of Protein, Thermal Protein, Thermal Glycoprotein....Pages 73-76
Prebiotic Selection Induced by Periodic Starlight....Pages 77-80
A model system for studying the role of phosphoryl group in energy transfer system....Pages 81-85
Demonstration of the PVED in Phase Transition of D-/L-Alanine & Valine....Pages 87-90
Two Punctuation Systems in the Genetic Code....Pages 91-94
Studies on Metal Ferrocyanides as Prebiotic Catalyst....Pages 95-97
Stability of Ribonucleic Acid in Protective Environments of Alkanes ≥ n -C 18 — Results from Experiments in Laboratory....Pages 99-102
Is Boric Acid the Missing Link in Prebiotic Chemistry?....Pages 103-106
Front Matter....Pages 47-47
Phosphoramide-Bonded Polynucleobasephosphates as Riboseless Precursors of RNA ?....Pages 107-110
Front Matter....Pages 111-111
Cometary Molecules & Life’s Origin....Pages 113-120
When and How Quickly did Life Emerge on Earth?....Pages 121-130
Cosmochemistry in the Early Universe....Pages 131-134
Absorption Against the Cosmic 2.7 K Background....Pages 135-138
Can Bio-Molecules be Formed in Collapsing Interstellar Clouds?....Pages 139-144
Interstellar Molecules: An Exotic Chemistry....Pages 145-150
Protoplanetary Disks, Solar System Minor Bodies and Origin of Life....Pages 151-156
Electric Discharge in Carbonaceous Meteorites?....Pages 157-159
Terrene Meteorites on The Moon....Pages 161-166
Two Possible Steps of the Chemical Evolution on Surface of Small Bodies in the Solar System....Pages 167-170
Front Matter....Pages 171-171
Tetra- and Nonapeptidyl Motifs in the Origin and Evolution of Photosynthetic Bioenergy Conversion....Pages 173-178
Geochemical Habitats in Hydrothermal Systems....Pages 179-185
Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents: An Example of Extreme Environment on Earth....Pages 187-193
Catalytic Capability of Oligopeptides in the Interface Chemistry in Hydrothermal Environments....Pages 195-199
Volcanic Lightning and the Availability of Reactive Nitrogen and Phosphorus for Chemical Evolution....Pages 201-210
Planetary Habitable Zones: The Spatial Distribution of Life on Planetary Bodies....Pages 211-214
Front Matter....Pages 215-215
Geological and Geochronological Constraints for the Age of the Oldest Putative Biomarkers in the Early Archaean Rocks of West Greenland....Pages 217-222
The Cenancestor and Its Contemporary Biological Relics: The Case of Nucleic Acid Polymerases....Pages 223-230
Likelihood of Transport of Life between the Planets of Our Solar System....Pages 231-236
Front Matter....Pages 215-215
The Nucleotide and Nucleotide-Like Coenzymes in Primitive Metabolism, Photobiology and Evolution....Pages 237-240
From Extremophiles to Astrobiology....Pages 241-245
Adaptative Response of a Fungus Species to Hydrocarbon Environments — Results from Experiments in Laboratory....Pages 247-250
Origins of Life in the Universe and Earliest Prokaryotic Microorganisms on Earth....Pages 251-254
Persistence of Living Planktonic Foraminifera ( Neogloboquadrina pachyderma ) in Antarctic Sea-Ice Inferred from a Study of a Sediment Core (Ross Sea Continental Margin)....Pages 255-260
Testing Evolutionary Convergence:....Pages 261-266
Front Matter....Pages 267-267
The Search for a Second Genesis of Life in Our Solar System....Pages 269-277
Ancient Life on Mars and Earth....Pages 279-280
Search for Life on Mars : The Mars Express Beagle-2 Lander....Pages 281-282
Search for Enantiomeric Excess in Extraterrestrial Samples. Interest for Mars Sample Return....Pages 283-287
Changes on the Surface of Mars Resulting from Inner Factors and Impactors....Pages 289-292
Spatial and Temporary Patterns of Some Climate Parameters Around the Timberline of Pico De Orizaba....Pages 293-301
Front Matter....Pages 303-303
The Satellites of Saturn....Pages 305-305
Titan : Exobiology and the Cassini-Huygens Mission....Pages 307-314
Experimental and Theoretical Photochemical Studies of Polyynes: Application to Titans Atmosphere....Pages 315-318
Experimental Simulation of Titan’s Atmosphere by Cold Plasmas....Pages 319-324
Front Matter....Pages 325-325
Ways to Detect Life on New Planets....Pages 327-334
Searching for Water in Exoplanets....Pages 335-338
The Saha Crater Radioastronomic and SETI Observatory....Pages 339-344
Natural Intelligence and Cellular Complexity....Pages 345-348
Front Matter....Pages 325-325
Extraterrestrial Life and Communication Perspectives....Pages 349-352
On the Last Terms of Drake Equation: The Problem of Energy Sources....Pages 353-356
Front Matter....Pages 357-357
Origins and Creation....Pages 359-364
Life in the Universe: Philosophical and Theological Issues....Pages 365-374
Implications of Possible Biological Evolution Outside Habitable Zones in Solar Systems....Pages 375-380
Front Matter....Pages 381-381
Cosmopark — A Natural Astronomical Observatory....Pages 383-385
Spanish Photographic Meteor Network: An interdisciplinary crosslink....Pages 387-391
Front Matter....Pages 393-393
New Paradigms for SETI....Pages 395-398
Front Matter....Pages 399-399
The Plurality of Worlds....Pages 401-407
Back Matter....Pages 409-428