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Selection in molecular evolution.

David Lynn Abel1

  • 1The Gene Emergence Project, Proto-BioCybernetics & Proto-Cellular Metabolomics, The Origin of Life Science Foundation, Inc., 14005 Youderian Drive, Bowie, MD, 20721-2225, USA.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
|August 13, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Molecular evolution requires active, pre-function selection, unlike passive Darwinian selection. This challenges abiogenesis theories by questioning how inanimate nature could achieve organized molecular advancement without inherent goals or foresight.

Keywords:
AbiogenesisChemical evolutionEmergenceLife originMolecular evolutionNatural selectionNonequilibrium thermodynamicsPre-Darwinian evolutionSelf-organization

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Area of Science:

  • Origin of Life studies
  • Chemical Evolution
  • Theoretical Biology

Background:

  • Evolution necessitates a selection mechanism for molecular advancement.
  • Natural selection, as observed in Darwinian evolution, is a passive process acting on existing life.
  • The laws of physics are indifferent to utility or purpose.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the nature of selection required for pre-Darwinian molecular evolution.
  • To explore how inanimate nature could achieve organized, multi-step processes without inherent goals.
  • To identify potential naturalistic mechanisms for active, pre-functional selection in abiogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of physical laws and thermodynamic principles.
  • Critique of existing models of self-ordering and non-equilibrium thermodynamics in relation to molecular evolution.
  • Exploration of the requirements for active, pre-functional selection at the molecular level.

Main Results:

  • Purely physical self-ordering and thermodynamic engines do not account for molecular orchestration.
  • Darwinian selection is insufficient for abiogenesis as it is a post-life phenomenon.
  • Abiogenesis requires a selection process that is active, pre-functional, and efficacious at the molecular level.

Conclusions:

  • Standard natural selection cannot explain the origin of life.
  • The emergence of complex molecular systems requires a form of selection operating before life's existence.
  • Further research into naturalistic mechanisms for active, pre-functional molecular selection is crucial for understanding abiogenesis.