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The indefinable term ‘prokaryote’ and the polyphyletic origin of genes

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Abstract

An analysis has been performed on implications existing between the presence/absence of the evolutionary stage of the prokaryote, that is to say, the presence/absence of common characteristics between archaea and bacteria, and the monophyletic/polyphyletic origin of genes of proteins. Thereafter, a theorem stating that: ‘the polyphyletic origin of proteins would imply the absence of common characteristics between bacteria and archaea and therefore the lack of the evolutionary stage of the prokaryote, and vice versa that the indefinable prokaryote stage implies a polyphyletic origin of proteins’, has been made and validated. The conclusion is that given the absence of truth in common characteristics between archaea and bacteria, the origin of genes of proteins should have been polyphyletic.

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Acknowledgements

This work was carried out in the Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, during my stay in this university, financed by the short-term mobility programme of the National Research Council, Italy. I would like to thank Prof Jaroslav Flegr for discussions and cordial hospitality.

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  1. Early Evolution of Life Laboratory, Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, CNR, Via P. Castellino, 111, 80131 , Naples, Italy

    Massimo Di Giulio

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  1. Massimo Di Giulio
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Correspondence to Massimo Di Giulio.

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Di Giulio M. 2017 The indefinable term ‘prokaryote’ and the polyphyletic origin of genes. J. Genet. 96, xx–xx

Corresponding editor: Rajiva Raman

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Di Giulio, M. The indefinable term ‘prokaryote’ and the polyphyletic origin of genes. J Genet 96, 393–397 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12041-017-0775-x

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