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Causation and the Origin of Life. Metabolism or Replication First?
Abstract
The conceptual gulf that separates the 'metabolism first' and 'replication first' mechanisms for the emergence of life continues to cloud the origin of life debate. In the present paper we analyze this aspect of the origin of life problem and offer arguments in favor of the 'replication first' school. Utilizing Wicken's two-tier approach to causation we argue that a causal connection between replication and metabolism can only be demonstrated if replication would have preceded metabolism. In conjunction with existing empirical evidence and theoretical reasoning, our analysis concludes that there is no substantive evidence for a 'metabolism first' mechanism for life's emergence, while a coherent case can be made for the 'replication first' group of mechanisms. The analysis reaffirms our conviction that life is an extreme expression of kinetic control, and that the emergence of metabolic pathways can be understood by considering life as a manifestation of 'replicative chemistry'.
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“Insights from classical approaches, hypotheses and ‘worlds’ have led to many advances, but they have also resulted in an ideological isolation that is possibly hindering progress in the OoL field [35,53,63,64,65,66,67].”
From The Future of Origin of Life Research: Bridging Decades-Old Divisions (2020) · cites this paper as [63]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Pross, A.
- Affiliations
- Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (IL)
- Corresponding author
- Pross, Addy
- ORCID
- Pross, Addy
- Venue
- Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere
- Published
- 2004-06
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 307-321
- ISSN
- 0169-6149 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-0875
- OpenAlex
- W2111124146
- Cited by
- 122
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 3.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Philosophy of Biology and Scientific Explanation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Keywords
- origin of life, metabolism-first hypothesis, causality, kinetic control, prebiotic chemistry
- MeSH terms
- Origin of Life, Energy Metabolism, Reproduction, Thermodynamics, Life, Evolution, Chemical
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