Cellular Replication and Abiogenesis

Living cells are the only things we know of that replicate themselves with very high accuracy. Evolution requires such high replication fidelity to allow for natural selection to operate. Researcher Sy Garte used a statistical simulation model to determine how self-replication fidelity could evolve in early life. The model revealed a phase transition from nonliving chemical complexity to evolving living creatures. This illustrates the necessary noncontinuity of any process, including natural selection, that could lead to the origin of evolving life.

Links and Resources: 

• Evidence for Phase Transitions in Replication Fidelity and Survival Probability at the Origin of Life
• The Continuity Principle and the Evolution of Replication Fidelity