Chapter 3100: Evolutionary selection (2/2)

Li Yao understood instantly.

This is the ”first question” of the ultimate test. The tester must manipulate these primitive fungal blankets to re-evolve and evolve into a carbon-based intelligent life that can communicate with the original ancestors.

Every archaea in the original fungus blanket is constantly growing, dividing and dying. In the process of countless divisions and deaths, there will be a very small probability of mutation. The tester must choose those ”correct” mutation directions. , And the elimination of ”failed” mutants can make the entire ethnic group stronger and ultimately ignite the fire of wisdom.

Of course, different testers must have different understandings of what is ”correct” and what is ”wrong”.

But the slightest loss is a thousand miles away. When the initial life is born, every tiny direction of variation will determine how strange or wise and powerful the final intelligent life is.

Li Yao didn't have time to think about it, the directions of hundreds of millions of mutations exploded within his horizon.

The ultimate test condenses hundreds of millions of years of evolution in just a moment, so every second there are countless variant directions waiting for Li Yao's choice.

Some mutation directions can make the archaea live longer, at the cost of a slower rate of division.

There are also some mutations in the opposite direction, shortening the lifespan of archaea by half, but speeding up division by 50%.

Some mutation directions can make the archaea become spherical, spiral, rod-shaped, disc-shaped and irregular, and some mutations can make the archaea evolve Li Yao's favorite flagella, improve mobility and the ability to swallow food.

Some mutation directions can change the outer cell membrane structure of archaea, making archaea more suitable for the environment near submarine volcanoes, but there are other changes that can increase the strength of the flagella and the overall strength of the fungus blanket, so that the fungus blanket can stay away. Submarine volcanoes, marching to the wider seabed.

Every second, hundreds of pale golden options drifted past Li Yao's vision. In many cases, he didn't even have time to think deeply, so he could only select and make choices based on his instinct.

Li Yao instinctively screened out those mutation directions that prolonged the lifespan of the archaeal bacteria, but retained the ability to ”more divisions”.

Only more divisions can bring more evolutionary possibilities. Now is not the time to talk about longevity and stability.

Later, he ruled out the variation direction that changes the structure of the cell's outer membrane, which can absorb more magma heat energy.

Li Yao knows very well that life is inert. If archaea evolve a structure that is very suitable for the environment of submarine volcanoes, they will stay here forever, always maintaining a simple and low-level structure, and it is impossible to march into the wider sea. , Thereby evolving more, more complex, and more advanced structures.

Born in peace and dying in sorrow, all life is the same. It is too adaptable to the environment. It is a gentle land that kills without blood. Only forever to move forward, always fight against the environment, fight against the world, and march toward the cruel unknown. The true meaning of life!

At this time, a new mutation direction flashed past Li Yao's eyes.

Li Yao's consciousness almost shrank to the tip of a needle, and he grasped this option like lightning.

that's it!

After a long period of competition and evolution, there is finally an archaea in his flora, which has mutated the ability to carry genetic information with ”deoxyribonucleic acid”!

Before that, all archaea used ”ribonucleic acid” to store and transmit genetic information.

Li Yao is very clear that although ”ribonucleic acid” is also a long-chain molecule that is very suitable for carrying information, it is far inferior to ”deoxyribonucleic acid” in terms of the amount of information stored and its stability!

Only by evolving ”deoxyribonucleic acid” can the capacity of genetic information exponentially explode, completing the leap from ”primordial life” to ”ancient life”!

boom!

Just after he chose to use ”deoxyribonucleic acid” to replace most of the functions of ”ribonucleic acid”, the entire pristine ocean was swallowed by golden light balls, like an earth-shattering explosion.

Immediately afterwards, the surrounding environment became completely different, the eruption of submarine volcanoes gradually subsided, the crust and the weather became relatively stable, and more and more ancient marine life evolved, such as trilobites, nautilus and The multicellular advanced life of the armor fish swims among the sea anemones, seaweeds and colorful jellyfish.

Li Yao once again faced a life-and-death choice.

The golden flow of information told him that according to the mutant genes he now possesses, he can choose to evolve into trilobites, nautilus, carapace fish, and other top predators in the ancient ocean. Of course, he can also choose to become a next-level predator. The prey is compensated by other evolutionary directions.