Scientists at the University of Ulm in Germany have found that diamonds may have been an important factor in the beginnings of life on Earth. In experiments they found that when treated with hydrogen, natural diamonds formed crystalline layers of water on the surface. These crystalline layers are an essential requirement for life.
Diamonds, which are crystallized carbon, predate the oldest known life on this planet. Scientists posit that in prehistoric times, when molecules landed on the surface of hydrogenated diamonds several billion years ago, the result may have led to more complex organic molecules that eventually gave rise to life.
The researchers said that hydrogenated diamonds transform into the best possible platform for the origin of life. They also found that the diamonds had electrical conductivity that could have started the chemical reactions needed to generate life
