The prebiotic emergence of biological evolution

TL;DR

This paper develops a universal framework to understand how prebiotic molecules could have initiated Darwin-like evolutionary dynamics, highlighting the role of cooperative autocatalysts like Foldcats in crossing the barrier to persistent propagation.

Contribution

It introduces a universal analytical framework for origin-of-life evolutionary dynamics and demonstrates how cooperative autocatalysts like Foldcats can emerge and propagate.

Findings

Cooperative autocatalysts can cross the barrier from degradation to growth.

Foldcats exhibit cooperative autocatalysis and emergent evolution.

The framework applies broadly to prebiotic molecular systems.

Abstract

The origin of life must have been preceded by Darwin-like evolutionary dynamics that could propagate it. How did that adaptive dynamics arise? And from what prebiotic molecules? Using evolutionary invasion analysis, we develop a universal framework for describing any origin story for evolutionary dynamics. We find that cooperative autocatalysts, i.e. autocatalysts whose per-unit reproductive rate grows as their population increases, have the special property of being able to cross a barrier that separates their initial degradation-dominated state from a growth-dominated state with evolutionary dynamics. For some model parameters, this leap to persistent propagation is likely, not rare. We apply this analysis to the Foldcat Mechanism, wherein peptides fold and help catalyze the elongation of each other. Foldcats are found to have cooperative autocatalysis and be capable of emergent evolutionary dynamics.