is life beginning on the earth at the present time? if life emerged from the primordial soup eons ago, is it continuing to begin, is it continuing to emerge? if not, why not? is the evolutionary process intact? wouldn't it be easier for life to begin and continue to begin in our less harsh conditions?

Likely it is.

Unfortunately it would be extremely difficult to tell a new emergent lifeform from one that resulted from from evolution of a pre-existing lifeform.

But I'd not be surprised if somewhere in the deep oceans at vents or even in the crust it is happening now just it once did. Though likely existing lifeforms would eat it for lunch before we discovered it.

Wrongway,

It's a good question but the idea that conditions are less harsh so it should be more likely may be a red herring.

The conditions needed are extremely particular, and may have only existed at the time shortly after the formation of the Earth.

DA may be correct, there may be places where it still happens today, but you need not only the right pre-biotic conditions, but also the primordial chemicals to be present.

Regards,

Blacknad.

Which is why I would look at undersea volcanos and lifeforms deep inside the earth's crust. These locations are teeming with life, have a reducing atmosphere (no free oxygen) and are loaded with exotic chemicals and carbon.

Does anyone think the theory of petroleum as a biological and ongoing process holds any water? I remember it being discussed a long time ago. What kind of organism would it take to convert rocks to petroleum?

good responses and thanks. u know something else i don't understand? if the phrase "survival of the fittest" applies to evolution, how many species, how many creatures can exist?

Rose: I am not aware of any substantive support even for oil being of biological origin as opposed to being natural and contaminated by biological organisms.

Wrongway: It has never been only survival of the fittest ... but more realistically survival of the fittest (today) combined with survival of the most adaptable over time.

How many creatures can exist? As many as have ever existed. Though human activity is dropping that number at a precipitous rate.

it is this force, the evolutionary mandate, which enabled single cell life to become human beings?

wrongway wrote:
"it is this force, the evolutionary mandate, which enabled single cell life to become human beings?"

Is that supposed to be a statement or a question?

There is no mandate either way.