PhilGoetz comments on Open Thread: May 2010 - Less Wrong

3 Post author: Jack 01 May 2010 05:29AM

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Comment author: PhilGoetz 13 May 2010 05:03:47AM 0 points [-]

I take it "a universal common ancestor" doesn't mean a universal common ancestor, but means a universal common ancestral group?

Comment author: JoshuaZ 13 May 2010 08:51:07AM 0 points [-]

As I said, I haven't had a chance to actually read the article itself, but as I understand it, this would indicate a universal common ancestor group of nearly genetically identical organisms. While there is suspicion that horizontal gene transfer was more common in the past than it is now, this supports the general narrative of all life arising from a single organism. These sorts of techniques won't distinguish between that and life arising from several genetically identical organisms.