Scientists Discover Genes That Predate All Life on Earth
A groundbreaking study has identified genes so ancient that they appear to predate all known life on Earth. By tracing the evolutionary history of gene families across the tree of life, scientists have reconstructed genetic sequences that likely existed in the very earliest stages of life's emergence on our planet.
These primordial genes may have been present in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) or even earlier proto-life forms, offering a window into the biochemical toolkit that made life possible. The discovery deepens our understanding of how life originated and provides clues about what the earliest self-replicating systems may have looked like, with potential implications for the search for life beyond Earth.
These primordial genes may have been present in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) or even earlier proto-life forms, offering a window into the biochemical toolkit that made life possible. The discovery deepens our understanding of how life originated and provides clues about what the earliest self-replicating systems may have looked like, with potential implications for the search for life beyond Earth.