2021 年 49 巻 3 号 p. 10-
Origins-of-life hypotheses generally posit evolution from simple molecular replicators, such as RNA, to complex living systems. The understanding of how molecular replicators could have evolved on the early Earth has been advanced through theoretical research. However, experimental verification was generally hindered due to the lack of appropriate experimental systems (i.e., molecular replicators that can undergo Darwinian evolution). Here, I describe our recent approach to develop and evolve such a model replication system to illuminate possible evolutionary pathways that would have led to the emergence of complex life.
