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WED, 4 NOV · 79 ITEMS
"All five genetic letters of DNA and RNA discovered in a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid" — Science Daily (all) · Science & Medicine
Scientists have confirmed the presence of all five —adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil—in samples from the asteroid , collected by Japan's Hayabusa2 mission. These are the fundamental building blocks of DNA and RNA, and their detection in a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid supports the theory that the ingredients for life could have originated in space and been delivered to Earth by meteorite impacts.
The claim is based on a peer-reviewed study of Ryugu samples, reported by reputable science news outlets like Science Daily. Multiple independent analyses have also found nucleobases in samples from another asteroid, Bennu, further corroborating the finding. The reporting is closely tied to the primary source, so the claim is consistent with the study.
This is genuinely new reporting on a study published in late 2026, though earlier detections of some nucleobases in asteroid samples had been reported previously.