Several days ago, an article was published by Popular Mechanics and posted online by MSN.com. The title was: “All life on Earth comes from one single ancestor. And it’s so much older than we thought.“
This story is about a lengthy research paper published back in July of 2024 by an international group of scientists. Here’s the citation, should you need some reading material before you go to sleep.
Moody, E.R.R., Álvarez-Carretero, S., Mahendrarajah, T.A. et al. The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system. Nat Ecol Evol 8, 1654–1666 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02461-1
Look, I’m gonna be completely honest… I could barely understand anything these people (in the actual study) were saying. I sucked in biology (and math). When it came to scientific experiments, the only ones I enjoyed were the ones that involved rapid exothermic reaction and fragmentation, but those were not conducted in controlled environments and it’s just possible a few laws were broken (but that’s the nature of the redneck life).
So, upon reading some of the research material and upon viewing several of the very complicated charts, it became clear that I am in no position to argue the science. These guys could think circles around me and correctly pronounce words I can’t even spell. In comparison, I’m a dummy.
However…..
How is it that my 138-millionth grandparent (based on generational averages and 4.2 billion years), LUCA, came to be? I am not really sure that’s explained, but like I said earlier, I’m a dummy.
But how is it that LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor), although the first of a long line of my ancestors, didn’t just pop into existence, but popped into a system already in place to not only to support LUCA’s life, but for LUCA to have purpose?
Consider the following excerpt from the scientific paper’s abstract (italics added):
Our results suggest LUCA was a prokaryote-grade anaerobic acetogen that possessed an early immune system. Although LUCA is sometimes perceived as living in isolation, we infer LUCA to have been part of an established ecological system. The metabolism of LUCA would have provided a niche for other microbial community members and hydrogen recycling by atmospheric photochemistry could have supported a modestly productive early ecosystem.
I don’t know about you, but something sounds a little strange. Maybe it’s the dummy in me thinking out loud. Didn’t the Popular Mechanics tell us that “All life on earth comes from one common ancestor…“? Then what am I to make of “an established ecological system“? I mean, honestly, how did this system come to be? How long did it take to get “established” and how did the “community members” get by without LUCA?
I’m beginning to wonder if Susan Vega is somewhere behind this. Reference too vague?
Well, one thing’s for sure, and it’s not that LUCA got a black eye by being clumsy (see earlier vague reference). Somebody needs to do in investigation to find out where LUCA’s community went! If all life on earth came from our 138-millionth ancestor, I first grandparent might have been the very first serial killer!
But don’t listen to me, I don’t know anything. It’s just, I mean, you know…
Systems are not random. Non-life can’t produce life. Something can’t come from nothing, for if it did, that nothing would be something. And as best I can tell, the Genesis account of human life (my real ancestors) does describe a first ancestor entering an already established ecosystem. Interesting, eh?
Just thought I’d share. Have a blessed day!
Grandfathers are also notorious/famous for telling tall tales, embellishing the facts, and leaving grandkids confused about actual historical events. Of course, the point of those stories is to keep a kid’s attention for more than 30 seconds; the straight truth can be boring at times.
The Recovering Legalist 