Figure 7

Cross-catalytic cycle of proto-adapters. (Only the anticodon sequences shown). Templates with complementary anticodons catalyse each other following Watson-Crick pairing (thin black arrows). However, allowing for non-legitimate pairs G-U allows for cross-catalysis of other templates (thin blue arrows). In this way, each pair of replicators catalyse another cycle of replicators (thick black arrows). This pattern allows formation of closed cycles. This figure shows only one of the possible nested cycles that emerge allowing for non-legitimate template replications. In this cycle, all pairs of templates bear amino acids that are Stickland pairs, and all amino acids are readily formed in Miller-type experiments. Other cycles that involve amino acids that are thought to be included at later evolutionary stages can show exceptions to this pattern.