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Biogenicity

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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

Synonyms

Biosignature

Definition

A BIOSIGNATURE IS A chemical OR morphological signatures THAT CAN BE preserved over a range of spatial scales in rocks, minerals, or ice that IS uniquely produced by past or present organisms. For example, elemental and isotopic signatures diagnostic of life that cannot be formed by purely abiotic processes. These may be accompanied by textural remains with shapes, orientations, and abundances that uniquely result from the growth, or decay of (once) living organisms. Further support for biogenicity can be shown if the distribution and abundance of this evidence are controlled by biologically significant primary variables such as light, temperature, and nutrient gradients.

Overview

Biogenicity criteria are used to assess the likelihood of a biological origin for candidate traces of life. Biogenicity criteria address observable and quantifiable features that can be broadly divided into three types: (1) the morphological complexity and size distribution of...

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References and Further Reading

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Geology, Rhodes University, Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa

    Nicola McLoughlin

Authors
  1. Nicola McLoughlin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicola McLoughlin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux, Pessac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  2. Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    William M. Irvine

  3. Centro Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Univ. Autónoma de Madrid Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  4. Analytical-, Environm., Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, VUB, Brussels, Belgium

    Philippe Claeys

  5. Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, WASHINGTON, DC, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  6. Radio Astronomy, Paris Observatory, Paris, France

    Maryvonne Gerin

  7. Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, Meudon, France

    Daniel Rouan

  8. International Space Science Institute, Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Tilman Spohn

  9. Centre Francois Viète, Universite de Nantes, Nantes, France

    Stéphane Tirard

  10. Innovaxiom, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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McLoughlin, N. (2022). Biogenicity. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_171-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_171-5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Biogenicity
    Published:
    04 December 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_171-5

  2. Original

    Biogenicity
    Published:
    15 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_171-4

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