Did Life Start Twice? New Study Challenges One of Biology's Biggest Assumptions
What Happened
Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf have found evidence suggesting that Earth's first free-living cells may have emerged independently twice, rather than from a single cellular ancestor. The study proposes that while all life may share one ancient genetic code, the two major branches of life, bacteria and archaea, may have separately evolved into free-living organisms from a common pre-cellular chemical system near hydrothermal vents.
Key Takeaways
The findings do not suggest two completely unrelated forms of life. Instead, scientists propose one origin of the genetic code but two separate origins of free-living cells, potentially rewriting our understanding of how life first spread across Earth.