Origins of Life: Chemistry and Evolution — How Did Life Begin? For centuries, humans have wondered how life began. Was it a stroke of chemistry, a slow evolutionary dance, or a mix of both? Modern science is beginning to answer that question with two major models that attempt to explain how life’s essential molecules—like RNA, DNA, and proteins—first formed on the early Earth. The Mystery of Life’s First Molecules Nearly four billion years ago, our planet hosted a chemical soup of simple compoun