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Full-Text Articles in Chemistry
Empirical Demonstration Of Environmental Sensing In Catalytic Rna: Evolution Of Interpretive Behavior At The Origins Of Life, Niles Lehman, Tess Bernhard, Brian C. Larson, Andrew J.N. Robinson, Christopher C.B. Southgate
Empirical Demonstration Of Environmental Sensing In Catalytic Rna: Evolution Of Interpretive Behavior At The Origins Of Life, Niles Lehman, Tess Bernhard, Brian C. Larson, Andrew J.N. Robinson, Christopher C.B. Southgate
Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations
Background: The origins of life on the Earth required chemical entities to interact with their environments in ways that could respond to natural selection. The concept of interpretation, where biotic entities use signs in their environment as proxy for the existence of other items of selective value in their environment, has been proposed on theoretical grounds to be relevant to the origins and early evolution of life. However this concept has not been demonstrated empirically.
Results: Here, we present data that certain catalytic RNA sequences have properties that would enable interpretation of divalent cation levels in their environment. …