Posted: Apr 14, 2010 7:55 am
Rumraket wrote:
First of all, it seems most of those 88 papers lend support to a preRNA->RNA world hypothesis. There are papers on the formation of ribonucleotides, oligomers and polymers under various conditions. There are papers on the evolvability of simple self-replicators.
I don't think that most do, but I'd agree that this is the most favoured hypothesis today.
Can we then reject any papers on Lipid World, Metabolism First, Protein First as not being evidence?
Another large portion of them seems to deal with abiotic amino-acid formations. This could also be relevant for the evolution of the first lifeforms in an RNA-world when they propapbly didn't start out with the ability to synthesise these themselves(since this already requires complex genetic and protein machinery).
The RNA world didn't need amino-acids. It follows that none of these papers provide any evidence for an RNA-world.
There are several papers on actual evidence for the existence of various relevant(to an RNA world) organic compounds in ancient rocks, meteorites, interstellar dust etc. etc.
These I've missed to my shame and embarrassment. Please point to these papers.
There are a few papers discussing the formation of lipids, which can also be relevant to an RNA world model.
It actually fits quite well together if you bothered to look at it a little more than just the titles.
I've read them, and you know I've read them since we've actually discussed the details of these papers in another thread.
Your comment is quite unneccessary.