Gene Tree Incongruence

Hi George -

This is quite interesting. Could you provide some links to peer-reviewed literature on the subject. Or perhaps better for someone like me, tertiary literature that has footnotes/links to the peer-reviewed literature?

Thanks, and a blessed Advent to you,
Chris

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Hi Chris,

I will do a search of my material for papers on this particular topic, but it may take me a while - a google search will provide you with general discussions on the early earth. These will discuss basically (three) periods, commencing with a cooling earth that formed water vapour, CO2, and other oxides, that depleted oxygen, followed by a period when volcanic activity added sulfides and carbon monoxide. Indeed most theories these days require bacteria that can survive without oxygen and these are speculated (or deemed necessary) to create the oxygen atmosphere we breath.

The speculation is breathtaking (:grin:) and like the second George in this thread :disappointed:, vast generalisations rule the day. However if you have access to a chemical thermodynamics program, you can perform simple computations to show how the major elements H2, O2, and C in proportions estimated for earth would be distributed in a hot reactor that cools down slowly. These calculations are accurate and non-controversial and give results similar to those for the very early earth.

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