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4 clusters · 9 sources · 18 days · First seen · Last updated

Dual-origin hypothesis for early life

Overview

Researchers at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf have published a study in Science Advances proposing that the two primary domains of life—bacteria and archaea—emerged independently from a non‑living Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA).

By analyzing the genomes and protein structures of 552 bacterial and 401 archaeal isolates, the research team, led by Natalia Mrnjavac and William Martin, reconstructed the metabolic history of LUCA. The study suggests that while LUCA possessed a genetic code and the ability to produce proteins, its metabolism was not yet fully developed. Instead, LUCA relied on environmental metals found in hydrothermal vents—such as iron, nickel, cobalt, and palladium—to catalyze approximately half of its energy-producing functions.

The findings indicate that bacteria and archaea may have shared a common genetic code but followed separate evolutionary paths to become free-living cells. Specifically, the researchers identified 166 core enzymes present in LUCA, with subsequent additions unique to each lineage: 89 in bacteria and 38 in archaea. Mrnjavac noted that this process would result in “two very different kinds of cells emerging, pioneer bacteria and pioneer archaea, making their first attempts at life outside the confines of a hydrothermal vent.”

This dual-origin hypothesis challenges the long-held assumption of a single common ancestor, suggesting that life may have transitioned from metal-catalyzed metabolism to enzymatic metabolism in two distinct stages. The research has drawn both interest and calls for additional evidence to validate these findings.

Entities

Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf · Science Advances · Archaea · bacteria · Natalia Mrnjavac

Timeline

  1. 20 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Researchers suggest life may have had two separate beginnings

    Researchers at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf suggest life may have taken two paths to cellular independence, with bacteria and archaea developing distinct enzymes from a common genetic ancestor.

  2. about 1 month ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
    Study suggests life on Earth may have had two independent origins

    A study suggests life on Earth may have originated twice independently, as bacteria and archaea appear to have developed separate metabolic solutions from hydrothermal vent environments.

  3. about 1 month ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Study finds bacteria and archaea evolved separately from shared LUCA using hydrothermal vent chemistry

    A study led by Natalia Mrnjavac shows LUCA had an incomplete enzyme set, with bacteria and archaea later evolving separate metabolic pathways using hydrothermal‑vent metals as catalysts.

  4. about 1 month ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Study Proposes Dual Origin of Life on Earth

    A *Science Advances* study claims life on Earth arose twice, with bacteria and archaea independently emerging from a non‑living LUCA, prompting debate in biology and astrobiology.

Sources

archynetys.com · downtoearth.org.in · hna.de · national-geographic.pl · ricknevin.com · scientificamerican.com · thebrighterside.news · tz.de · world-today-news.com

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history