Hi, Here's the LiveScience article: http://www.livescience.com/46563-new-meteorite-type-fossil-ordovician.html "Geochemically, the meteorite falls into a class called the primitive achondrites, and most resembles a rare group of achondrites called the winonaites. But small differences in certain elements in its chromite grains set the mysterious object apart from the winonaites..."
Sterling Webb ---------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: Meteorite-list [mailto:meteorite-list-boun...@meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Shawn Alan via Meteorite-list Sent: Monday, July 07, 2014 6:44 PM To: Meteorite Central Subject: [meteorite-list] Newly discovered meteorite could explain boominglife on Earth Hello Listers Think this might spark some interest in some of you :) Enjoy Shawn Alan IMCA 1633 ebay store http://www.ebay.com/sch/imca1633nyc/m.html Website http://meteoritefalls.com Researchers in Sweden have found a new class of meteorite. And according to LiveScience, that discovery published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters may be the missing link in the asteroid crash that sparked the diversification of life on Earth nearly 500 million years ago. The meteorite in question was found in a quarry located just west of Stockholm. Finding meteorites there isnt all that surprising, given that more than 100 have been dug up in the past 20 years. But previous finds were all of the common L-chondrite variety, a class of meteorite that started raining down on Earth 470 million years ago when a small asteroid crashed into a much larger one made up of these L-chondrites. That crash, scientists say, caused a meteor shower that resulted in just the right amount of destruction to drive animals and plants to diversify and form new species. But the specifics of that crash have always been shrouded in mystery, because the composition of the first, smaller asteroid is unknown. Thats why the new meteorite discovery is so important: scientists think its a fragment of the asteroid destroyer that triggered an explosion of species diversification on Earth. David Harper, a geologist at Durham University who did not participate in the study, told New Scientist that the team may at last have identified the impactor responsible for the break-up of the parent body of the L-chondrite meteorites. But that finding will need to be validated, because some scientists arent even sure it belongs to a new class of meteorite yet. Timothy Swindle, a meteorite expert at the University of Arizona, told LiveScience that he thinks scientists might still be able to link it to known classes of meteorite despite the compositional differences that set it apart from previous finds. I think its entirely plausible [that it's a new kind of meteorite], and its a great study, but thats not a guarantee theyve got it right, Swindle said. But if they didnt, its because of new things well find out in future work, not because of their analysis. The new meteorite hasnt been named yet, but it might end up being called Österplana, after a nearby church. In the meantime, however, researchers are choosing to call it the mysterious object and given the questions that continue to surround it, that interim name seems appropriate. Source: http://euroasianews.com/newly-discovered-meteorite-could-explain-booming-lif e-on-earth/ ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://three.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list ______________________________________________ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://three.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list