The Very Early Stages of Biological Evolution and the Nature of the Last Common Ancestor of the Three Major Cell Domains
Abstract
Quantitative estimates of the gene complement of the last common ancestor of all extant organisms, that is, the cenancestor, may be hindered by ancient horizontal gene transfer events and polyphyletic gene losses, as well as by biases in genome databases and methodological artifacts. Nevertheless, most reports agree that the last common ancestor resembled extant prokaryotes. A significant number of the highly conserved genes are sequences involved in the synthesis, degradation, and binding of RNA, including transcription and translation. Although the gene complement of the cenancestor includes sequences that may have originated in different epochs, the extraordinary conservation of RNA-related sequences supports the hypothesis that the last common ancestor was an evolutionary outcome of the so-called RNA/protein world. The available evidence suggests that the cenancestor was not a hyperthermophile, but it is currently not possible to assess its ecological niche or its mode of energy acquisition and carbon sources.
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All known life evolved from a single ancestor or ancestral community, so every life-form shares a common set of inherited properties.
“Because all known life evolved from a single ancestor or ancestral community, every life-form shares a common set of inherited properties (Woese, 1998; Becerra et al., 2007; Theobald, 2010).”
From The Astrobiology Primer v2.0 (2016) · cites this paper as Becerra et al., 2007
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Gayon, J., Malaterre, C., Morange, M., Raulin-Cerceau, F., & Tirard, S. (2010) · Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres · doi:10.1007/s11084-010-9189-y · Cited by 26 · see citing works
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Evolution of reduced prokaryotic genomes and the minimal cell concept: Variations on a theme
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Giulio, M. D. (2020) · Biosystems · doi:10.1016/j.biosystems.2020.104239 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
The Non-Biological Meaning of the Term “Prokaryote” and Its Implications
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The biochemical roots of the RNA world: from zymonucleic acid to ribozymes.
Lazcano, A. (2012) · PubMed · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Self-citationAlarmones as Vestiges of a Bygone RNA World
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Self-citationGiulio, M. D. (2020) · Biosystems · doi:10.1016/j.biosystems.2020.104174 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
2011 William Allan Award: Development and Evolution 1
Opitz, J. M. (2012) · The American Journal of Human Genetics · doi:10.1016/j.ajhg.2011.12.025 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Optimization Models and the Structure of the Genetic Code
Jestin, J., & Kempf, A. (2009) · Journal of Molecular Evolution · doi:10.1007/s00239-009-9287-5 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Composition-Based Methods to Identify Horizontal Gene Transfer
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Self-citationEvolutionary Routes to Modern Metabolic Pathways
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Delaye, L., Gil, R., Peretó, J. G., Latorre, A., & Moyá, A. (2010) · The Open Evolution Journal · doi:10.2174/1874404401004010012 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Self-citationEmerging Frontiers in the Study of Molecular Evolution
Liberles, D. A., Chang, B. S. W., Geiler‐Samerotte, K., Goldman, A. D., Hey, J., Kaçar, B., Meyer, M. M., Murphy, W. J., Posada, D., & Storfer, A. T. (2020) · Journal of Molecular Evolution · doi:10.1007/s00239-020-09932-6 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Rivas, M., Becerra, A., & Lazcano, A. (2017) · Journal of Molecular Evolution · doi:10.1007/s00239-017-9822-8 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Self-citationProtocells and LUCA: Transport of substances from first physicochemical principles
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DESCHODT, C. M., & Scholtz, C. H. (2008) · African Entomology · doi:10.4001/1021-3589-16.1.91 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
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Goldman, A. D., & Kaçar, B. (2022) · Environmental Microbiology · doi:10.1111/1462-2920.16144 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
A New View of the Last Universal Common Ancestor
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Self-citationThe maximum growth rate of life on Earth
Corkrey, R., McMeekin, T. A., Bowman, J. P., Olley, J. N., Ratkowsky, D. A., & Ross, T. (2017) · International Journal of Astrobiology · doi:10.1017/s1473550416000501 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Nucleobases in Meteorites to Nucleobases in RNA and DNA?
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Planetary change and biochemical adaptation: molecular evolution of corrinoid and heme biosyntheses
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Self-citationBecerra, A. (2021) · Journal of Molecular Evolution · doi:10.1007/s00239-021-09994-0 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
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Rivas, M., & Fox, G. E. (2024) · Journal of Molecular Evolution · doi:10.1007/s00239-024-10199-4 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Evolution of Cellular Organization Along the First Branches of the Tree of Life
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Ancient gene duplications in RNA viruses revealed by protein tertiary structure comparisons
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Self-citationShould the Teaching of Biological Evolution Include the Origin of Life?
Lazcano, A., & Peretó, J. G. (2010) · Evolution Education and Outreach · doi:10.1007/s12052-010-0285-2 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Self-citationNegrón-Mendoza, A., Hernández-Morales, R., & Lazcano, A. (2025) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2024.0289 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Self-citationThe very early evolution of biological complexity
Goldman, A. D., & Fournier, G. P. (2024) · Trends in Genetics · doi:10.1016/j.tig.2024.09.001 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
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Caliari, A., Xu, J. C., & Yomo, T. (2021) · Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal · doi:10.1016/j.csbj.2021.04.030 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Cenancestor, the Last Universal Common Ancestor
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Self-citationRNA or DNA? Revisiting the Chemical Nature of the Cenancestral Genome
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Universal paralogs provide a window into evolution before the last universal common ancestor
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The non-canonical nucleotides and prebiotic evolution
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Pollack, J. D., Pan, X. J., & Pearl, D. K. (2010) · Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres · doi:10.1007/s11084-009-9188-z · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Was LUCA a Hyperthermophilic Prokaryote? The Impact-Bottleneck Hypothesis Revisited
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Self-citationLawson, C. G. R. (2010) · Griffith Law Review · doi:10.1080/10383441.2010.10854685 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Reconstructing the Last Common Ancestor: Epistemological and Empirical Challenges
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Self-citationThe origins of ATP synthases, the identity of LUCA, and the progenote
Giulio, M. D. (2025) · Biosystems · doi:10.1016/j.biosystems.2025.105528 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Harold, F. M. (2021) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197604540.001.0001 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Question 7: Comparative Genomics and Early Cell Evolution: A Cautionary Methodological Note
Islas, S., Hernández-Morales, R., & Lazcano, A. (2007) · Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres · doi:10.1007/s11084-007-9092-3 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Self-citationIntroduction to the Special Issue on Early Evolution and the Last Common Ancestor
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Emergence of biosignatures on Earth and implications for life detection
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Lazcano, A. (2013) · Social and ecological interactions in the Galapagos Islands · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-6732-8_3 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
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Delaye, L. (2023) · Encyclopedia of Astrobiology · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-65093-6_1728 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Self-citationComparative genomics and early cell evolution
Lazcano, A. (2011) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511933875.019
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Delaye, L. (2015) · Encyclopedia of Astrobiology · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_1728
Self-citationThe Origin of Chiral LifePreprint
Valković, V., & Obhođaš, J. (2020) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2011.12145
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Harold, F. M. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197604540.003.0009
Harold, F. M. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197604540.003.0003
Living Cells, Lifeless Molecules
Harold, F. M. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197604540.003.0002
Harold, F. M. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197604540.003.0001
Harold, F. M. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197604540.003.0006
Harold, F. M. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197604540.003.0005
Harold, F. M. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197604540.003.0011
Harold, F. M. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197604540.003.0010
Harold, F. M. (2021) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197604540.003.0004
The Perennial Riddle of Life’s Origin
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Last Universal Common Ancestor
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Preston, L. J., & Rothschild, L. J. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-10152-1_119-1
Lazcano, A. (2014) · Encyclopedia of Astrobiology · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1128-2
Self-citation
- Authors
- Becerra, A., Delaye, L., Islas, S., & Lazcano, A.
- Affiliations
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX)
- Venue
- Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics
- Publisher
- Annual Reviews
- Published
- 2007-12-01
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 361-379
- ISSN
- 1543-592X (ISSN-L)
- 1545-2069
- OpenAlex
- W2117729494
- Cited by
- 115
- References
- 86
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 0.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Virginia
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Keywords
- last common ancestor, horizontal gene transfer, gene loss, RNA world, prokaryotes, hyperthermophiles, origin of life
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