Final answer:
Signal transduction pathways evolved early in the history of life as evidenced by their presence in organisms that do not utilize sexual reproduction, the identification of receptor molecules in fossilized organisms, and the similarity of molecular details in organisms with a common ancestor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The molecular evidence that signal transduction pathways evolved early in the history of life can be seen in several ways. One piece of evidence is that cell signaling is observed in organisms that do not utilize sexual reproduction, such as bacteria. This suggests that signal transduction pathways were already present in simple life forms. Additionally, receptor molecules have been identified in preparations of fossilized organisms billions of years old, indicating that signal transduction was occurring in ancient organisms. Furthermore, the molecular details of cell signaling are quite similar in organisms whose last common ancestor was a billion years ago, further supporting the idea that signal transduction pathways have a long evolutionary history.