EVOLUTIONARY THEORIES 97 



Alexander later*^ gave greater precision to this idea by saying 

 " that life originated by the chance transformation of an auto- 

 catalytic unit of molectilar dimensions, for the smaller its 

 size, the greater the probability of its formation ". 



R. Beutner wTote a number of separate papers*' on the 

 problem of the origin of life, as well as a whole book^° pub- 

 lished in 1938. He arrived at similar conclusions. In his 

 book Beutner suggests that powerful electric discharges which 

 occurred at some time on the surface of the Earth might have 

 led to the formation of innumerable multitudes of organic 

 substances. Among these substances, which ^vere dissolved 

 in the waters of the primitive ocean, there might chance to 

 have been formed, at first simple enzymes, but later, enzymes 

 which were capable of reproducing themselves — self-regener- 

 ating enzymes. These ^vould have been exactly like the filter- 

 able viruses of the present day. Through their growth and 

 increase in complexity these original unimolecular forms of 

 living matter would also have served as the basis for the 

 formation of organisms endowed with a definite characteristic 

 structure. 



Among French authors A. Dauvillier should be mentioned 

 here. As early as 1938 and 1939 he brought out papers con- 

 nected with our problem in the periodical L' Astronomies^ 

 In 1947 he published a whole book on the subject." Like 

 many previous authors Dauvillier considered that the source 

 of the organic substances on the surface of the Earth was 

 carbon dioxide which was reduced to formaldehyde by 

 ultraviolet radiation. Dauvillier thought that a considerable 

 amount of formaldehyde might have been formed in this way 

 and that nitrogenous substances might have combined with 

 it as a result of electrical discharges. Nitrogen, in the form 

 of ammonia, could also enter into direct combination with 

 carbon dioxide under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. 

 This would also bring about the polymerisation of the 

 developing organic molecules. 



Organic compounds of high molecular weight were thus 

 formed in the primaeval ocean. By virtue of their Bro^vnian 

 movement the colloidal particles were able to group them- 

 selves together in the most diverse ways. In the course of 

 many thousands of years there could have occurred, by 

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