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The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system

Title	The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system
Authors	Edmund R. R. Moody, Sandra Álvarez-Carretero, Tara A. Mahendrarajah, James W. Clark, Holly C. Betts, Nina Dombrowski, Lénárd L. Szánthó, Richard A. Boyle, Stuart Daines, Xi Chen, Nick Lane, Ziheng Yang, Graham A. Shields, Gergely J. Szöllősi, Anja Spang,
Magazine	Nature Ecology & Evolution
Date	07/12/2024
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02461-1
Introduction	The Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) signifies a crucial juncture in life's history, though its characteristics and influence on the early Earth system are not fully understood. This study reconstructs LUCA's metabolism, environment, and chronological placement by combining phylogenomic analyses of current microbial genomes with geological and chemical limitations. Our findings suggest that LUCA was a heat-loving, oxygen-averse organism residing in hydrothermal vent environments. It derived energy and fixed carbon using a combination of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, iron, and sulphur compounds. This metabolic profile indicates that LUCA not only adapted to early Earth conditions but also actively shaped its geochemistry, participating in the cycling of essential elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur, and iron. LUCA's estimated existence, approximately 4.0–3.8 billion years ago, coincides with a period of significant geological and environmental transformation. Gaining knowledge of LUCA's attributes offers fundamental perspectives on life's beginnings and the interdependent evolution of biological and planetary systems.
Quote	Moody, E. R. R.; Álvarez-Carretero, S.; Mahendrarajah, T. A.; Clark, J. W.; Betts, H. C.; Dombrowski, N.; Szánthó, L. L.; Boyle, R. A.; Daines, S.; Chen, X.; Lane, N.; Yang, Z.; Shields, G. A.; Szöllősi, G. J.; Spang, A.; Pisani, D.; Williams, T. A.; Lent
Element	Carbon (C) , Hydrogen (H) , Oxygen (O) , Sulfur (S)
Industry	Research & Laboratory

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