Jim Brooks obituary

My friend Jim Brooks, who has died aged 78, was a distinguished scientist whose life was full of surprises. Branching out from initial studies in industrial chemistry at Bradford Institute of Technology (later Bradford University), he elucidated the properties of sporopollenin, a virtually indestructible component of plant spores found in ancient rocks, which provided evidence of life on Earth at least 3,500m years ago. Jim's work in this area culminated in the publication of a beautifully illustrated book, Origins of Life (1985).

He was born in West Cornforth, Co Durham, but grew up in the textile village of Saltaire, West Yorkshire, where his father, Ernest, was a dyer. His mother, Beatrice (nee Hunter), had been in service. After his first degree at Bradford, Jim gained a master's and a PhD. He joined BP as a research geoscientist in 1969, and his research career continued while he held various positions in the oil industry.