Posted: Apr 13, 2010 1:57 pm
rainbow wrote:Rumraket wrote:
Before we can try and look for indirect evidence, we must first define what that would be. In the case of Primordial Soup, what is that, specifically?
Well according to some hypotheses, the early earth was awash with high concentrations of organic compounds.
Now depending on which hypothesis you believe, these compounds differ, as does their origin.
As I don't know which is your favourite, and I've no favourite, I can't really point to the hypothesis for which we are looking for supporting evidence. Can I?
Your choice.
Well I can't really pick one either.
The best I can do is more or less to try and read up on what the "general consensus" in abiogenesis research is, if there even is such a thing. I actually don't think there is.
It seems to me there are a number of different extant hypothesis undergoing research in various labs.
The Szostak lab seems to do some kind of pre-RNA->RNA-world thing, with some Lipid-world stuff thrown in. This is also the hypothesis I have read the most about. There are various scenarios involved in this hypothesis and several parts of it have gathered some, in my opinion, compelling experimental support.
It is not my understanding that this specific hypothesis rests on an assumption that "the early earth was awash with high concentrations of organic compounds". In fact, it seems it is quite often stated that there are concentration problems and therefore abiotically plausible mechanisms for enhancing these concentrations is one of many areas undergoing active research. The porous microstructure/thermal convection coloumn is one of those hypothesised solutions. I have read of several versions of these concentration-issue resolving hypothesis.
I can't tell you what's best and I'm not an authority on the subject.