Early molecules would have been destroyed by UV light

From EvoWiki

Contents 1 Claim 2 Source 3 Responses 4 Fallacies contained in this claim 5 References 6 Further Reading 7 Related claims 8 See Also 9 Acknowledgments

Claim

Since the early atmosphere had no ozone layer, ultraviolet light would have irradiated organic molecules which formed in the atmosphere, destroying complex molecules.

Source

• Anon, 1985. Life--How Did It Get Here? Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., p. 41.

Responses

1. This claims assumes that life must have developed exposed to direct sunlight. Much investigation of abiogenesis involves deep ocean phenomena, where early molecules would have been well protected against UV light.
2. Creationists fail to realize that ultraviolet light is capable of initiating change reactions of simple organic molecules that can create more complex organic molecules. The decomposition of these complex organic molecules would, in turn, lead to more chain reactions that produce even more complex organic molecules.
3. Ultraviolet radiation is the weakest form of ionizing radiation, and the argument's implication is that it creates an all-or-nothing scenario, where life either could not have existed in such an environment (making abiogenesis wrong), or else such an environment never existed (setting up a false dilemma). The premise is not true, however. UV radiation is not as ionizing as the argument requires.
4. add more responses

Fallacies contained in this claim

• Jumping to Conclusions (that life developed where it would have been exposed to UV)
• Misrepresenting the Facts (of the helpful and harmful aspects of UV)
• Perfectionist Fallacy (UV exposure doesn't have to be all or nothing)

References

1. Bernstein, M.P. et al., 1999. UV irradiation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ices: Production of alcohols, quinones, and ethers. Science 283: 1135-1138. See also: Ehrenfreund, P., 1999. Molecules on a space odyssey. Science 283: 1123-1124.
2. Minkel, J.R., 2002 (Mar.). Space rock candy. Scientific American 286(3): 28 (citing Nature, 12/20-27/2001).
3. Mulkidjanian, Armen Y., Dmitry A. Cherepanov, and Michael Y. Galperin, 2003. Survival of the fittest before the beginning of life: selection of the first oligonucleotide-like polymers by UV light. BMC Evolutionary Biology 3:12. [1]
4. Mullen, Leslie, 2003. Shining Light on Life's Origin. Astrobiology Magazine, [2]

Further Reading

• Bernstein, M.P., Sandford, S.A. & Allamandola, L.J., 1999 (July). Life's far-flung raw materials. Scientific American 281(1): 42-49.

Related claims

• Not all amino acids needed for life have been formed experimentally
• Early molecules would have decayed
• Miller's experiments had invalid assumption of type of atmosphere
• Earth's early atmosphere had abundant oxygen

See Also

Why is Creationism not a Scientific Theory?

Acknowledgments