The thermal cracking of polar petroleum compounds-resins and asphaltenes-isolated from crude oils of different genotypes was carried out, with C-10-C-13 adamantanes and C-14-C-16 diamantanes being produced as a result. It was assumed that resins and asphaltenes contain the adamantane and diamantane moieties in their molecular structure. An explicit relation between the distribution of C10-C13 adamantanes in crude oils, thermal cracking products of high-molecular-mass (bp > 350 degrees C) saturated fractions, and the products of thermal cracking of resins and asphaltenes was revealed. The distributions of C-14-C-16 diamantanes in the cracking products of resins and asphaltenes are close to one another and correlate well with their distribution in the products of thermal cracking of high-molecular-mass (> 350 degrees C) saturated fractions, but differ from the distribution in oils. The products of thermal cracking of resins and asphaltenes almost completely lack cyclic hydrocarbons and contain only a small amount of remaining n-alkanes and isoprenanes.