00:00A new study suggests life may have emerged in two separate lineages.
00:04Researchers examined the earliest evolution of bacteria and archaea. They reconstructed
00:10a massive network of 420 metabolic reactions. The findings suggest early life depended heavily
00:16on metals in hydrothermal vents. In fact, the last universal common ancestor, or LUCA,
00:22may have used enzymes for only about half of these reactions. Scientists also identified
00:28phosphate and palladium as a possible early energy source. The biggest surprise? Bacteria and archaea
00:34appear to have independently developed enzymes for similar jobs. That could mean they separately
00:40escaped their dependence on hydrothermal vents. So, while life may share one ancient genetic code,
00:46researchers say it could have had two origins as free-living cells. The discovery could reshape
00:52our understanding of Earth's earliest life. This video contains stock footage and content
00:57created, or enhanced, using AI-assisted tools, AI-generated.
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