The famous RNA World theory of how life began may be based on a fundamental logical fallacy.
April 26, 2026
Original Paper
The RNA-First Fallacy: Conflating Evolutionary Ancestry with Prebiotic Primacy
ChemRxiv · chemrxiv.15002357/v1
The Takeaway
Most biologists assume that because RNA is central to modern life, it must have been the very first molecule to emerge from the primordial soup. This perspective ignores the fact that RNA is far too complex to have formed spontaneously under harsh early-earth conditions. The theory conflates the biological ancestry of the molecule with its chemical origins. Modern chemistry suggests that other, simpler molecules likely paved the way for RNA to eventually take over. Overturning this assumption forces researchers to look for the true, simpler ancestors of all living things.
From the abstract
The RNA World hypothesis remains the most widely accepted framework in origins-of-life research, anchored in compelling biochemical evidence for RNA's deep evolutionary ancestry. However, this viewpoint routinely extends beyond that and is frequently conflated with claims that RNA served as life's primal substrate. This essay argues that the RNA-First paradigm, in its pursuit of this claim, systematically projects biological biases onto a chaotic and combinatorially vast abiotic landscape. It re