Origin of Life

TL;DR

This paper reviews major hypotheses on the origin of life, including abiogenesis, RNA World, Iron-sulphur World, and panspermia, and suggests comet delivery alone was insufficient to initiate life on Earth.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of prevailing origin-of-life hypotheses and offers a critical perspective on the limitations of cometary delivery of organic molecules.

Findings

Panspermia remains a plausible but incomplete explanation.

Cometary delivery of organic molecules alone likely did not start life.

The paper highlights the need for alternative or additional mechanisms.

Abstract

The evolution of life has been a big enigma despite rapid advancements in the fields of biochemistry, astrobiology, and astrophysics in recent years. The answer to this puzzle has been as mind-boggling as the riddle relating to evolution of Universe itself. Despite the fact that panspermia has gained considerable support as a viable explanation for origin of life on the Earth and elsewhere in the Universe, the issue remains far from a tangible solution. This paper examines the various prevailing hypotheses regarding origin of life like abiogenesis, RNA World, Iron-sulphur World, and panspermia; and concludes that delivery of life-bearing organic molecules by the comets in the early epoch of the Earth alone possibly was not responsible for kick-starting the process of evolution of life on our planet.