The Origin of Life: Models and Data.

Area of Science:

• Origin of Life research
• Astrobiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Conventional origin of life (OOL) models often define a 'privileged function' (e.g., replication, metabolism, compartmentalization) as central to early life.
• These functions are isolated from their biological context and projected onto primitive environments.
• Evaluating OOL models requires considering the conserved components of life, such as the Universal Gene Set and the Molecular Toolbox.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically assess origin of life models based on the concept of a 'privileged function'.
• To analyze the implications of 'takeover' events for transitioning between primitive and extant biochemical systems.
• To evaluate the predictive power and complexity of privileged function models in light of conserved biological components.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of established origin of life models (RNA Worlds, Metabolism-First, Thermal Vent, Membrane Worlds).
• Examination of the Universal Gene Set and the Molecular Toolbox of Life for conserved components.
• Conceptual evaluation of 'takeover' processes and their necessity in privileged function models.

Main Results:

• Privileged function models necessitate complex 'takeover' events to transition to the current DNA/RNA/protein system.
• These models require the replacement of primitive molecular toolboxes and gene sets with extant ones.
• The robustness of the current Molecular Toolbox and Universal Gene Set over 3.7 billion years suggests they are post hoc phenomena, not initial conditions.

Conclusions:

• Origin of life models centered on a single privileged function exhibit extreme complexity and limited predictive power.
• These models rely on indeterminacy and plasticity in biological and chemical processes, making them difficult to validate.
• A critical re-evaluation of privileged function frameworks is needed, considering the evolutionary history of life's fundamental components.