Question

The introductory passage describes the identification of eukaryotic signature genes in Lokiarchaeota, explaining that these suggest that bacteria were acquired by archaeal cells to give rise to the Eukarya. Prior to this event, a series of events needed to take place in order for life to arise on Earth. Put the events below into the correct order to summarize the hypothesized path from prebiotic chemistry to evolutionary diversification, beginning with the earliest event.

Place the items below in the correct order. Items may overlap if events occur simultaneously.
a. Bacteria and Archaea diverged.
b. Self-replicating and catalytic RNA developed (the "RNA world").
c. Archaea and Eukarya diverged.
d. Biological building blocks (amino acids, nucleosides, and sugars) appeared.
e. DNA genomes developed, along with the processes of DNA replication and transcription.
f. Protein synthesis and protein enzymes appeared.
g. Lipid bilayers surrounded the earliest cells and allowed the formation of cellular compartments.

Answer 1

The correct order of events leading from prebiotic chemistry to evolutionary diversification begins with the appearance of biological building blocks, followed by the development of self-replicating RNA, protein synthesis, DNA replication, formation of cellular compartments, divergence of Bacteria and Archaea, and finally, the divergence of Archaea and Eukarya.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the sequence of events that led from prebiotic chemistry to the emergence and evolutionary diversification of life, culminating in the emergence of the three domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. To put the events in order:

1. Biological building blocks (amino acids, nucleosides, and sugars) appeared.
2. Self-replicating and catalytic RNA developed (the "RNA world").
3. Protein synthesis and protein enzymes appeared.
4. DNA genomes developed, along with the processes of DNA replication and transcription.
5. Lipid bilayers surrounded the earliest cells and allowed the formation of cellular compartments.
6. Bacteria and Archaea diverged.
7. Archaea and Eukarya diverged.

These events detail the hypothesized path from the simplest chemical precursors to the complexity of life that allowed for the divergence of Bacteria and Archaea, and subsequently the development of Eukarya through processes such as endosymbiotic gene fusion between an Archaea and a Bacteria, leading to a shared evolutionary pathway and the eventual development of eukaryotic cells.