Charles Darwin and the Origin of Life |
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Authors: | Juli Peretó Jeffrey L Bada Antonio Lazcano |
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Institution: | 1.Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular,Universitat de València,València,Spain;2.Scripps Institution of Oceanography,University of California at San Diego,La Jolla,USA;3.Facultad de Ciencias,UNAM,Mexico D.F.,Mexico |
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Abstract: | When Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species 150 years ago he consciously avoided discussing the origin of life. However, analysis of some other texts written by Darwin,
and of the correspondence he exchanged with friends and colleagues demonstrates that he took for granted the possibility of
a natural emergence of the first life forms. As shown by notes from the pages he excised from his private notebooks, as early
as 1837 Darwin was convinced that “the intimate relation of Life with laws of chemical combination, & the universality of
latter render spontaneous generation not improbable”. Like many of his contemporaries, Darwin rejected the idea that putrefaction
of preexisting organic compounds could lead to the appearance of organisms. Although he favored the possibility that life
could appear by natural processes from simple inorganic compounds, his reluctance to discuss the issue resulted from his recognition
that at the time it was possible to undertake the experimental study of the emergence of life. |
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