对蛇纹石化超基性岩寄主生物圈的研究,有望获得地球上古老而独特的前生命/生命有机质成因和演化的重要信息。本文综述了探索火星过去生命和地球古老沉积岩生命起源/演化证据的质疑和争论、相关分析方法和技术的应用。论述了超基性岩蛇纹石化作用生成分子氢,并通过费-托聚合反应生成烷烃的基础理论及其与生命起源/演化的相关性,简述了鉴别蛇纹石化超基性岩中有机质来源的烷烃的碳、氢同位素组成和分布模式,有机质的同位素和分子生物学特征。超基性岩蛇纹石化生成非生物成因烷烃与其他有机化合物,为化能自养微生物群落提供了所需要的能量和初始物质,是生命起源最重要的变质水化反应。超基性岩蛇纹石化作用通常发生在缓慢扩张洋中脊系统、大陆蛇绿岩系统等构造环境。生物过程和非生物过程的叠加,给鉴别蛇纹岩寄主生态系统的生物成因有机质带来严峻挑战。
The origin and evolution of life is the most important and disputable scientific question. Important information a- bout pre-life and life organic compounds in early Earth history could be deduced through the study on the microbial com- munities in serpentinized uhramafie rocks. This paper has comprehensively reviewed the questions and arguments on evi- dences for exploring origin and evolution of ancient life of Mars and sedimentary rocks on earth, and the related analytical methods and technological applications,discussed basic theories on the generation of molecular hydrogen through the ser- pentinization of ultramafic rocks and the generation of alkane through the Fischer-Tropsch Type polymerization of the mo- lecular hydrogen and their relationship to the life's origin and evolution, and briefly discribed the compositions and distri- bution patterns of carbon and hydrogen isotopes of alkane for identifying source of the organic matters in the serpentinized uhramafic rocks, as well as the isotopic and molecular biological characteristics of the organic matters. The abiogenic hy- drocarbons and other organic compounds formed through the serpentinization of ultramafic rocks could provide necessary energy and raw materials for supporting chemosynthetic microbial communities, which probably was the most important hy- dration reaction for the origin and early evolution of life. Serpentinization generally occurs in slow expanding mid-ocean rid- ges and continental ophiolites tectonic environment, etc. The overprint of biological and abiological processes will create a big challenge to identify the biogenic organic materials in serpentinite-hosted ecosystem.