Another problem is that lateral gene transfer may have been extremely important in the evolution of the first life. That is, the phylogenic tree, instead of the upper branches converging onto a single trunk, may, at the bottom, diverge into many roots (representing different lineages coming together by sharing genes), and quite a tangled root mass, too.
In fact, the lateral gene transfer may have been so important that it would be meaningless to talk about individual lineages.
"Intellectually, scientifically, even artistically, fundamentalism -- biblical literalism -- is a road to nowhere, because it insists on fidelity to revealed truths that are not true." -- Katha Pollitt
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