How Earth’s Primordial Soup Came to Life

How Earth’s Primordial Soup Came to Life

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Just as species are thought to have evolved over time, the individual molecules that form the basis of life also likely developed in response to natural selection, scientists say.

Life on Earth first bloomed around 3.7 billion years ago, when chemical compounds in a “primordial soup” somehow sparked into life, scientists suspect. But what turned sterile molecules into living, changing organisms? That’s the ultimate mystery. By studying the evolution of not just life, but life’s building blocks as well, researchers hope to come closer to the answer.