LUCA Wasn't Alive—Just Metal-Dependent Chemistry | Science News

New research is rewriting the origin story of life: LUCA, once thought to be the single ancestor of all living things, may have been more like a molecular soup in hydrothermal vents, relying on metals to drive chemical reactions. Instead of splitting from a fully formed cell, bacteria and archaea likely evolved independently, inventing their own enzymes to break free from vent dependence. This chaotic, experimental phase suggests life’s roots were distributed and messy—not a single tree but a tangled web of evolving chemistry. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/702ea56f39ec52bf