Re: Life's range = 0-50C

Jeremy.Winfield@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

It is also good to note that many enzymes using metal cofactors are also
highly divergent and well rooted. Since there is a high concentration
of metal ions around deep sea volcanic vents, this seems to point us
toward that location for the origin of life. To make a terrible
metaphor, I can just see in my minds eye a sea of thermodynamic and
reduction/oxidation energy around deep sea vents as being favorable
for the first enzymes to ride the free energy roller coaster.

My gut reaction is almost the opposite: a black smoker is
a big source of noise and disturbance - just the kind of
thing the first organisms would have been gummed up or
shaken to bits by.

Crystallisation - the one natural force capable of
making the first genomes - shows no particular love
of such regions, and their messy sulphuric chemistry.

Any early organisms in the vicinity would be well
advised to keep a safe distance.

Anyway, the idea that the LCA was a thermophile was a
red herring as far as the origin was concerned:

http://originoflife.net/thermophiles/

.....even before doubts were cast on the whole idea.
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