book reviews ieochernirtry and the Orlgln ot Life
Edited by Keith A. Kuenuolden, Ames Research Center, California. Halbted Press, New Yark, 1975. xvii 422 pp. Figs. and tables. 18 X 26 em. $26.
+
"Geochemistry and the Origin of Life" is the 14th volume in the Benchmark Series in Geology, and i t includes a total of 43 reprinted articles from a diverse range of sub-disciplines, including paleobiology, metepritics, and theoretical and experimental aspects of hoth organic and inorganic geochemistry. Papers published from 1941 through 1972 are included; perhaps as an indication of the dynamic nature of the field, over 75% of the selections are from the latest seven years of this period. Kvenvolden has divided the book into five sections, each of which is introduced by editorial comments and biographical sketches of some of the major contributors t o the concepts developed in the particular section. In his comments. Kvenvolden briefly outlines some of the history of the subject and supplements the included papers with additional references and suggested readings. By this approach, and by the inclusion of a t least one review paper in each of the five sections, Kvenvolden has effectively reached beyond the limits of the specific volume for a discussion and campilation of the literature. The underlying theme of all the sections is the relation of experimental and theoretical observations to the actual geologic record, as revealed hy geochemical andlor paleabiological studies of meteorites and ancient terrestrial rocks. Such an approach is useful in placing limits on an obviously hroad subject, hut it has resulted in the omission of any discussions of the organic chemistry of lunar rocks or of interstellar molecular chemistry. Nevertheless, this omission is not a deficiency, since the papers that are included contain the conceptual framework far these more recent advances.
Section I of the hook contains eight papers that explore theoretical and experimental modelling of early chemical evolution. H. C. Urey's "On'the Early Chemical History of the Earth and the Origin of Life" (1952) introduces the section and has been an obvious "benchmark" for all suhsequent work. Four of the remaining papers of the section are authored or coauthored by Stanley Miller, testimony to Miller's contribution t o the advances in this field. P. H. Ahelson's "Chemical Events on the Primitive Earth" (1966) and R. Lemmom' review paper "Chemical Evolution" (1970) complete the section. Section I1 is composed of six papers an the organic constituents of meteorites, including a thorough review by J. M. Hayes (1967) and three mare recent publications that discuss various aspects of amino-acid, hydrocarbon, and total carbon chemistry of several carbonaceous meteorites. Among these studies is the convincing evidence for natural ahioeenie svnthesis found in the Murchisan m k o r i t e (1969 fall). (Continued on page A2381 A236 / Journal of Chemical Education
book reviews The third section is introduced by the abstract of W. W. Ruhey's benchmark "The Geologic History of Sea Water-an attempt to state the problem" and is followed by 11 papers that consider the theoretical aspects of the evolution of the hydrosphere and atmosphere and the restraints that the geologic record places upon these theories. Papers by H. D. Holland (1962) and P. E. Cloud (1972) serve as thorough reviews of the broad base of information that is demanded by such modelling. The last two sections deal with the subject of chemical and hialogical fossils, respectively, in ancient terrestrial rocks. Several papers by T. C. Hoering, G. Eglinton, J. Om, and coworkers discuss the nature of hydrocarbons and other extractable material in Precambrian rocks. Hoering's papers (3) focus on the ever-present prohlem of geological contamination, Amino acids in Precambrian sediments are the subject of two papen, one of which (Kvenvolden et al., 1969) discusses the intriguing problem of optical activity of sedimentary amino acids, a subject that is amplified in Kvenvolden's editorial comments. Kvenvolden's own review paper "Organic Geochemistry of Early Precambrian Sediments" (1972) serves as a useful summary for this section. A name that appears frequently on papers included in the latter two sections is that of J. W. Schopf, who, in association with E. S. Barghoorn and others, has made significant contributions to the field of
A238 / Journal of Chemical Education
Precambrian biogeochemistry. Parts of Schopfs 1970 review "Precambrian Microoreanisms and Evolutionar~Events Prior to"the Origin of Vascular ~ l a n t s "are included in the fourth section and help t o summarize the paleohotanical information available through the late 1960's. I t is impossible for any book such as this to be complete, and it is unfortunate that a few (total of 3) articles could not be ineluded in entirety, but Kvenvolden has done an excellent job of selecting the articles that are representative of the subject. Since several of these articles are designed to lead the reader t o additional references, one can rapidly survey a large volume of literature via the papers included in the hwk. "Geochemistry and the Origin of Life" is highly recommended as a reference for all those with advanced interests in the biological, chemical, and geological aspects of the origins of living systems. John F. Wehrniller Dept of Geology Uni-ify of Delaware Newark. Delaware 1971 1
