In the second chapter of The Selfish Gene Richard Dawkins explains how life and evolution began then. In the beginning everything was simple and there were no complex compounds. Dawkins writes everything began, "At some point a particularly remarkable molecule was formed by accident," (page fifteen) and a molecule capable of copying itself was formed. This was the first Replicator, or gene within an organism. As replicators replicated, again mistakes happened. These are essential for evolution, populating the "primeval soup" with a variety of replicators. Dawkins claims all replicating molecules have descended from that first replicator, making us humans relatives to every other species. The mistakes in evolution have given the opportunity for variety. It was not good or bad, but it has been necessary for bringing all leaving organisms in existence the way they are.
Dawkins explains the status of the "ancient replicators" today because "They did not die out, for they are past masters of the survival arts. But do not look for them floating loose in the sea; they gave up that cavalier freedom long ago. Now they swarm in huge colonies, safe inside gigantic lumbering robots, sealed off from the puttied world, communicating with it by tortuous indirect routes, manipulating it by remote control". These are in me and every other existing organism, but Dawkins presents us as "survival machines". Is that all we are? The former replicator had an advantage over the rest of the molecules from the primordial soup, in what today is a competition of survival of the fittest. It began with simple molecules and is now in animals, humans, bacteria and every other organism. It amazes me to be uncertain of what molecule humans come from because if we do come from the same gene, we are relatives of fungi, bacteria and even domesticated animals. It is also amusing how a structure as perfect and organized as the DNA double helix developed from a mistake. Will we ever know how to do these type of mistakes?
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