The antiquity of RNA-based evolution
Authors: Gerald F Joyce
Journal: Nature (2002)
Discipline: Multidisciplinary
Keywords: life; DNA genomes; protein enzymes; RNA; RNA world
Affiliations: Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. 

Abstract:  All life that is known to exist on Earth today and all life for which there is evidence in the geological record seems to be of the same form--one based on DNA genomes and protein enzymes. Yet there are strong reasons to conclude that DNA- and protein-based life was preceded by a simpler life form based primarily on RNA. This earlier era is referred to as the 'RNA world', during which the genetic information resided in the sequence of RNA molecules and the phenotype derived from the catalytic properties of RNA. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 The authors never indicated in the article if their data complied with the normal distribution. Then why did they use ANOVA then? Surely most of their data had very skewed distribution curves, very far from the normal ones (the only exception might be Proteobacteria). The authors begin Discussion with u201cResults illustrate the importance for evaluating soil ecology across time and spaceu201d. How surprise here, as well as not need to perform rather extensive and expensive research to substantiate a truistic statement like this. Besides, considering the results described, one may easily conclude that there is no need at all to perform microbiome research as statistical significance does not directly translate into ecological, environmental and microbiological one (meaning the difference between treatments, even if statistically significant, is very small in terms of the real value. Then the authors continue Discussion: u201cAmong the identified dominant phyla, Actinobacteria are affected by soil moisture; considering, Acidobacteria may decrease under greater precipitation and the presence of Proteobacteria increases u201d. In Results section there was no mentioning of the soil moisture effect! Only Pasture management and zone as factors, but those are far from being 100% synonymic with soil moisture! And speaking about the dominant phyla, identified in the study, there was no Acidobacteria at all (Figure 2 and the relevant paragraph in Results section)! Thus the beginning of Discussion produces a strong impression of the text, copied from another paper, pasted in this one, but then never edited appropriately. I believe in speaks volumes both about reviewing, provided by the Journal, and authorsu2019 attitude to presenting their research. Figure 4 in the article has a caption u201c PCA of bacterial community structureu201d; however, the explanation below the caption runs as PCoA. Thus the question arises if it was principal components analysis or principle coordinates analysis. They provide the same results only in case of Euclidean distance, not B-C one. Figure 6 shows Richness (Chao) on the Y axis. But what do the values mean u2013 the number of OTUs? Or what? It is not clear from the M M or Results section. Besides, the format of the values does not seem to be correct, as there should be u201c,u201d symbol after the digit for thousand. ,