Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins which, in turn, are the building blocks of life. While there are 21 amino acids used by humans, approximately 100 amino acids are found in Murchison meteorites. On January 13, 2020, it was announced that stardust in a Murchison meteorite was determined to be 7 billion years old — the oldest particulate matter which humans have had contact. The Panspermia Theory of Creation — life on Earth having been seeded by extraterrestrial impacts — begs the question whether meteorites similar to Murchison have seeded life in other parts of our galaxy. In the unlikely event you’re not yet in awe of Murchison, you’re at the wrong barbeque; approximately 75,000 scientific papers citing Murchison await your perusal…but look soon before Murchison will cost $1000/gram.

78 x 49 x 34mm (3 x 2 x 1.33 in.) and 154.8 grams (0.33 lbs)

Provenance: Field Museum, Chicago

Estimate: $50,000 – 75,000 * Reserve: $40,000