No, LUCA’s age is assumed to be around 4 billion years ago, but it’s really irrelevant to my point
Actually it's estimated between 3 and 3.8 billion.
But that's not relevant. I was just making the point that LUCA isn't necessarily FIRST life - and most likely isn't.
Everything you mentioned is merely unevidenced meaningless speculation.
It's not.
LUCA needs not be first life. And again, likely isn't.
Say first life is population A.
That speciates in A1, A2 and A3.
Say that A1 and A2 go extinct and A3 goes on to outcompete 1 and 2 and then all life comes from that one.
Population A was first life. A1 would be a subspecies of that original first A.
Remember what the L in LUCA stands for.
It's the LAST common ancestor.
So the YOUNGEST. Not the OLDEST.
That's the only point I was making.
I’m not interested in arguing about irrelevant details of a fairytale
You can call genetic facts of common ancestry what you want of course, but it won't change the fact that they are facts.
Again, the ToE is not concerned about explaining the first life, only the diversity of life
Correct.
but without life, there is no evolution;
Obviously.
Hence why the process of evolution applies to living things only. Hence the scope of the theory.
Duh.
Abiogenesis is supposed to explain the emergence of first life
Correct.
(first self-sustaining complex living system allegedly capable of Darwinian evolution)
Why "complex"?
There's no requirement for it to be complex.
Off course, how "complex" something is, is rather subjective off course.
Amino acids can be said to be "complex" molecules. It can also be said to be rather simple molecules when contrasted against more complex ones.
So it's kind of a matter of perspective.
which is absolutely necessary before any evolutionary process through mutation/selection would be possible.
Obviously. Yes. Life needs to exist before process that apply to living things can manifest.
You have succesfully stated the obvious.
The name that is given to the alleged first life is neither my concern nor I am interested in arguing about irrelevant details. The point is, Abiogenesis must explain the first life, which is a necessary prerequisite before evolution. If the first life is not explained or not possible, no evolution is possible.
This is completely false.
Life exists and we can study it.
It matters not how it originated.
Whether it is true a process like proposed in abiogenesis theories, by alien engineering, by gods created it, by panspermia, by magical unicorns farting.... it matters not.
It exists. It is there. It is evolving.
Evolution is only not possible if:
- life does not exist (but it does)
- existing life does not exhibit the necessary properties for evolution to occur (but it does)
The point is that many are under the false impression that the ToE explains life
The only people that seem to be under that impression, are creationists.
People who understand evolution, understand that it explains the diversity of life, not life itself.
and they fail to understand that without life to begin with, there is no possible evolution.
Yes, if life doesn't exist then it won't be evolving.
But life DOES exist.
The ToE merely shifts the problem of life to the first life and leaves it to Abiogenesis to provide an explanation, but it never did.
No shifting is taking place. Evolution addresses the origins of species. Not the origins of life itself.
Why is this so hard to understand for you?
Probably because you are one of those people who is under that false impression you just mentioned.
Which is weird, because earlier in your post you acknowledged that the origins of life are out of scope of evolution theory.
The fact remains that the problem of life was never explained. neither by the ToE nor by Abiogenesis.
Which is why abiogenesis research is ongoing.
Everything that is explained today was unexplained in the past. So what?
If we don't know then we don't know. We can then only work to try and find out.
What is it that you are actually complaining about?
Not really. The concern as explained in # 2575 is the oversimplification/wishful thinking of many as they view the problem of Abiogenesis while failing to understand its multiple levels of escalated complexity. None of the numerous attempts led to any remotely possible self-sustainable chemistries and pathways that are capable of chemical evolution. See # 1850 & #2484.
Yes, it's a hard problem. So?
Are you complaining that science isn't easy?
Yes true.
Finding out how life originated isn't going to change anything about how life reproduces and adapts to its environment through the processes detailed in evolution theory.
it's always an adaptation process through directed mutation, it's never a random evolutionary process.
BS
Mutation is random with respect to fitness.
Natural selection acts like a filter (not random).
These are observable, demonstrable phenomenon.
Regardless of your ostrich defenses of denial.