THE ANGRITES ARE AN ANCIENT (4.56 GA) CRITICALLY SILICA UNDER-SATURATED ACHONDRITES OF IGNEOUS ORIGIN. THESE METEORITES EXHIBIT A RANGE OF MINERALOGY (E.G. PYROXENE-RICH BASALTS TO DUNITES) TEXTURES (E.G. QUENCHED LIQUIDS OPHITIC BASALTS AND CUMULATES) AND ISOTOPIC SYSTEMATICS WHICH IMPLY DERIVATION THROUGH A RANGE OF THERMAL AND CRYSTALLIZATION HISTORIES DURING THE EARLIEST STAGES OF PLANETESIMAL DIFFERENTIATION. SEVERAL PETROGENETIC MODELS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TO EXPLAIN THE GENERATION OF THE ANGRITES. ONE FAMILY OF PETROGENETIC MODELS ARGUES THAT THE ANGRITES ORIGINATED FROM THE PARTIAL MELTING OF CHONDRITIC PRECURSOR MATERIAL UNDER UNIQUELY OXIDIZING CONDITIONS