Diatoms in the Orgueil Meteorite

Resumo

We report the discovery of frustules of pennate diatoms embedded in a freshly fractured interior surface of the Orgueil CI1 carbonaceous meteorite. Images and element composition by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy were obtained with the TESCAN VEGA 3 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in the Astrobiology Sector of the Laboratory of Radiation Biology of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. The distribution of chemical elements as shown by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and 2-D element maps show no detectable nitrogen. Hence the diatoms are interpreted as indigenous to the Orgueil meteorite and therefore have direct implications to the existence of extraterrestrial life; and the hypothesis of Panspermia.