Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2025
07:37
Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
Published on: January 19, 2018
18.3K
The prebiotic emergence of biological evolution
Charles D Kocher1,2, Ken A Dill1,2,3
1Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
Royal Society Open Science
|July 25, 2024
Summary
Cooperative autocatalysts, which increase reproduction with population, can overcome degradation to enable evolutionary dynamics. This mechanism is demonstrated in Foldcats, peptides that catalyze each other
Area of Science:
- Origin of life studies
- Evolutionary dynamics
- Prebiotic chemistry
Background:
- Darwinian evolution requires adaptive dynamics for propagation.
- The emergence of these dynamics from prebiotic molecules remains a key question.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a universal framework for the origin of evolutionary dynamics.
- To identify prebiotic conditions and molecular systems capable of initiating evolution.
Main Methods:
- Evolutionary invasion analysis was employed.
- A universal framework was developed to model the transition to evolutionary dynamics.
Main Results:
- Cooperative autocatalysts, where reproduction rate increases with population, can transition from degradation to growth-dominated states.
- This transition to persistent propagation is not rare under certain conditions.
- The Foldcat Mechanism, involving self-catalyzing peptides, exhibits cooperative autocatalysis and emergent evolutionary dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Cooperative autocatalysis provides a viable pathway for the origin of evolutionary dynamics from prebiotic chemistry.
- The Foldcat Mechanism serves as a concrete example of a system capable of initiating self-propagation and evolution.
Related Concept Videos
02:06Conditions on Early Earth
91.3K
Around 4 billion years ago, oceans began to condense on earth while volcanic eruptions released nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen into the primordial atmosphere. However, organisms with the characteristics of life were not initially present on earth. Scientists have used experimentation to determine how organisms evolved that could grow, reproduce, and maintain an internal environment.
91.3K
01:24Eukaryotic Evolution
33.3K
The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...
33.3K
02:35What is Evolutionary History?
36.4K
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.
36.4K
02:55The Evidence for Evolution
42.6K
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
42.6K
02:40The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes
32.3K
The “tree of life” describes the evolution of life and the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The root of the tree is the common ancestor to all life on Earth. All other species radiate from this point, much like the branches of a tree. The numerous tips of these branches on the tree of life represent every living, or extant, species. Extinct species, which are species that no longer exist, can be found towards the center of the tree. Currently, these organisms, both...
32.3K
02:22The Colonization of Land
34.3K
Changes in the environment of the early Earth drove the evolution of organisms. As prokaryotic organisms in the oceans began to photosynthesize, they produced oxygen. Eventually, oxygen saturated the oceans and entered the air, resulting in an increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration, known as the oxygen revolution approximately 2.3 billion years ago. Therefore, organisms that could use oxygen for cellular respiration had an advantage. More than 1.5 years ago, eukaryotic cells and...
34.3K