Scientists at the University of Ulm in Germany have found that diamonds may have been an important factor in the early period of life on Earth. In research they found that when treated with hydrogen, natural diamonds formed crystalline layers of water on the surface. These crystalline layers are an important requirement for life.

Diamonds, which are crystallized carbon, predate the oldest known living 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 ultimately gave rise to life. The researchers said that hydrogenated diamonds transform into the best possible platform for the source of life. They also found that the diamonds had electrical conductivity that could have started the chemical reactions required to generate life.