LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor)

LUCA, or Last Universal Common Ancestor, refers to the most recent organism from which all current life on Earth descends. It wasn’t a single, individual creature but likely a population of simple, single-celled organisms that lived billions of years ago. LUCA shared key biological features, such as genetic material (DNA or similar molecules) and basic metabolic processes, which are still found in all life today. Understanding LUCA helps scientists learn about the origins of life and how diverse organisms have evolved from this common starting point.