In defence of the three-domains of life paradigm
P.T.S. van der Gulik, W.D. Hoff and D. Speijer
BMC Evolutionary BiologyBMC series – open, inclusive and trusted 201717:218
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-017-1059-z © The Author(s). 2017
Received: 27 April 2017 Accepted: 1 September 2017 Published: 19 September 2017
Source/Fonte: OpenI
Abstract
Background
Recently, important discoveries regarding the archaeon that functioned as the “host” in the merger with a bacterium that led to the eukaryotes, its “complex” nature, and its phylogenetic relationship to eukaryotes, have been reported. Based on these new insights proposals have been put forward to get rid of the three-domain Model of life, and replace it with a two-domain model.
Results
We present arguments (both regarding timing, complexity, and chemical nature of specific evolutionary processes, as well as regarding genetic structure) to resist such proposals. The three-domain Model represents an accurate description of the differences at the most fundamental level of living organisms, as the eukaryotic lineage that arose from this unique merging event is distinct from both Archaea and Bacteria in a myriad of crucial ways.
Conclusions
We maintain that “a natural system of organisms”, as proposed when the three-domain Model of life was introduced, should not be revised when considering the recent discoveries, however exciting they may be.
Keywords Eucarya LECA Phylogenetics Eukaryogenesis Three-domain model
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