Adamantane was discovered 70 years ago in the crude oil from Hodonin (Czech Republic). Later on, a number of hydrocarbons with adamantane skeleton, from simple alkyl derivatives to polymantanes, were identified in crude oil. In animated nature, adamantane derivatives were found in some plants of the Guttiferae family. Adamantane is accessible by classic synthetic procedures and/or acid-catalyzed rearrangements of appropriate precursors. Possible ways of formation of adamantane and its derivatives in crude oil are compiled.