[ExI] Discovery Suggests All Complex Life Came From Archaea

[Ben]

BillK <pharos at gmail.com> wrote:

 > Scientists have discovered what could be our closest living relative 
among the microbes, casting new light on the origins of our species.

<http://sciencenordic.com/discovery-bay-aarhus-can-solve-puzzle-our-primordial-origin>

 > Quote:

 > Life on Earth started at least 3.8 billion years ago, and nobody 
knows how it started or why. But we do know that all life on Earth 
originated from a single original cell.


I've had this discussion before, and am not convinced that all life on 
earth had to originate from a single cell. In fact it seems highly unlikely.

It seems much more likely to me that all life originated from a 
/population/ of similar cells. This is how evolution works, variation in 
a population, some members are more successful than others at 
reproducing, some are not successful at all.

It doesn't tend to happen that only a single individual is the least bit 
successful at reproducing, and all the others die. I don't see why this 
wouldn't be just as true 3.8 bn years ago as it is today.

Does anyone have a convincing counter-argument?


Ben Zaiboc