Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 64 (9164 total)
4 online now:
Newest Member: ChatGPT
Post Volume: Total: 916,876 Year: 4,133/9,624 Month: 1,004/974 Week: 331/286 Day: 52/40 Hour: 3/3


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   Reproduction before Life
Blue Jay
Member (Idle past 2726 days)
Posts: 2843
From: You couldn't pronounce it with your mouthparts
Joined: 02-04-2008


Message 1 of 2 (501070)
03-04-2009 12:33 AM


In Evolution would have given us infrared vision, Buzsaw talked about reproduction in what he calls the "Post-Abiogenesis" era. Depending on when abiogenesis is considered to have been completed, one could argue that this actually represents the "Pre-Abiogenesis" era, but that's not the point.
Essentially, Buzsaw argues that, after the genesis of proto-cells, but before the genesis of true cells, there was a period of uncertain reproductive capacity for what would soon become life.
I think he deserves a chance to air his doubts about the feasibility of this process on a thread better suited to his argument.
My own take on the issue is that there would, indeed, be a period during which the replication cycles and processes of the different molecules within the proto-cell would not be coordinated centrally. Different molecules within the same proto-cell would have been perpetuated by different environmental processes, and the advantages given by the few "proto-genes" would be random and poorly regulated, at least at first.
In short, this era would be a terrible, confusing mess. But, I don't see why this is a problem for abiogenesis or evolution. Anyone who studies community ecology, phylogenetics or, really, any other area of life science, knows that life and its processes are still a terrible, confusing mess today.
True, the processes would likely have some differences when compared with today's processes, but the overall picture isn't that much different. I think the major issue is that Buzsaw, like most creationists, does not realize that confusing messes are the norm in biology.
I am interested primarily in why Buzsaw thinks this period of time is problematic, and why he thinks the gradual synchronization of multiple, independent components' replication cycles is beyond the reach of random mutation plus natural selection.

-Bluejay/Mantis/Thylacosmilus
Darwin loves you.

AdminNosy
Administrator
Posts: 4754
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Joined: 11-11-2003


Message 2 of 2 (501078)
03-04-2009 1:55 AM


Thread copied to the Reproduction before Life thread in the Origin of Life forum, this copy of the thread has been closed.

Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024