Materials for “First Steps” in Evolution

Abstract

A review presenting different speculations and theories about the origin of life on Earth. One of these theories is the Darwinian systems, where evolution would have depended on the transmission of information between generations through replication of genetic information that could affect the chances of its own survival through creating phenotypes. Genetic takeover is also considered since in many branches of engineering, materials suitable for making primitive mechanisms, for "first steps", are not likely to be the materials of choice for advanced systems. So if there exists some evolutionary means through which a first genetic material could be updated with something completely different, then this is likely to have been what actually happened. Schroedinger applied general ideas to suggest that the genes in organisms today are like "aperiodic crystals", and held together by strong covalent bonds. Polytypism is another theory in which variety in stacking patterns may arise even although all the unit layers, the "cards", are identical. [on SciFinder (R)]