古生物化学中的凝聚态化学反应

Condensed Matter Chemical Reactions in PaleoChemistry

研究古生物学,必须从古生物变“化”之学的方向着手,深入化石骨头和细胞里面,探讨在漫长时间内、该古生物的化学组成、细微构造等起了什么变化?化成了什么?如今保留的是什么?保存这些有机残留物的化学机制(Mechanism)是什么?凝聚态化学在此又扮演了什么关键角色?在此我以个人所知一点点从凝聚态化学的角度,来探讨古生物领域诸多古化学相关的最基本底层奥秘,本文举三个实例说明可能的凝聚态化学反应,肯定在古生物化学中扮演了关键的基本机制,等着我们去揭发;如:一般认为化石就是古代生物变化成为石头,从有机体变成无机的矿物质,有机体不可能保存成千万上亿年;然而,我们团队却在1.95亿年前的禄丰龙胚胎骨头内,发现了被保存下来的原生I型胶原蛋白(Native Collagen I);又在22亿年前化石内发现多种氨基酸,和证明为最早多细胞真核生物的甾烷;这是地球生命演化重大的发现;从这些古生物化石的实例来说,可以看出凝聚态化学绝非仅是个理论化学的旁观者,而是关键角色,它的重要性,非常值得我们投入去深入探讨,揭开从古代生物到你我手中化石无数化学反应最底层化学的奥秘。

For the study of paleontology,we must start from the direction of paleontological"changes,"go deep inside the fossil bones and cells,and explore what changes had taken place in terms of chemical composition,the structural and morphological changes of the ancient organisms over a very long time ago.What does it change into?What remains and preserved as fossils do we have in our hands today?Then the most important question:what is the chemical mechanism for preserving these organic residues?What is the critical role of condensed matter chemistry in these complex geological events?From the perspective of condensed matter chemistry in this paper,the author tries his best to explore the most fundamental mysteries related to PaleoChemistry in paleontology.Three examples are given to illustrate possible condensed matter chemical reactions,which must have played a critical primary mechanism in PaleoChemistry,waiting for us to uncover.For example,fossils are generally believed to be ancient organisms that changed into stone/rock,from once-living organisms to lifeless inorganic minerals.It is commonly believed that organic matters cannot be preserved for millions or billions of years.However,our team found preserved native collagen Type I in the 195 million years ago Lufengosaurus embryonic bones.Many amino acids were found in the 2.2 billion-year-old fossils.The evidence of steranes proved these organisms were the oldest multicellular eukaryotes.This is one of the most significant discoveries in the life evolution of the Earth.From the examples of these paleontological fossils,it can be seen that condensed matter chemistry is not only a bystander of theoretical chemistry but a key role.Its importance is worthy of our investment in the in-depth study to uncover the mysteries of the fundamental chemistry of countless chmical reactions from ancient organisms to fossils in our hands.