ePrints

Retraction Note: Generation of long-chain fatty acids by hydrogen-driven bicarbonate reduction in ancient alkaline hydrothermal vents (Communications Earth & Environment, (2024), 5, 1, (30), 10.1038/s43247-023-01196-4)

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Graham Purvis, Professor Lidija SillerORCiD, Archie Crosskey, Mx Jupiter Vincent, Dr Corinne Wills, Dr Jake Sheriff, Dr Cijo XavierORCiD, Dr Jon TellingORCiD

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.

Abstract

© The Author(s) 2025.Retraction to:Communications Earth & Environmenthttps://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01196-4, published online 10 January 2024 The authors have retracted this article following concerns raised over the identification of fatty acids in the experimental products. Specifically, the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry data used to support the conclusion of abiotic generation of fatty acids under hydrothermal conditions contained several peaks which were misidentified. The identification was based on the use of a best fit algorithm but subsequent manual inspection indicates that these peaks do not represent evidence for the presence of fatty acids in the samples. As the identification of fatty acids underpinned the principal conclusion of the contribution – that fatty acids had been generated in the experiments – this issue necessitated a retraction. The authors acknowledge Tom McCollom for bringing the issue to their attention. All authors agree with this retraction.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Purvis G, Siller L, Crosskey A, Vincent J, Wills C, Sheriff J, Xavier C, Telling J

Publication type: Note

Publication status: Published

Journal: Communications Earth and Environment

Year: 2025

Volume: 6

Issue: 1

Online publication date: 07/08/2025

Acceptance date: 02/04/2018

ISSN (electronic): 2662-4435

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02635-0

DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02635-0

Share