Primordial Soup (IMAGE) ETH Zurich Caption Lakes in volcanic surroundings could have been the breeding ground for the first biochemical compounds around 4 to 4.5 billion years ago. Credit Illustration: Dhilung Kirat/Wikimedia, ETH Zurich Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.