For questions about how a species, or life in general, was created.
For questions about the origins of living things. This may vary in scope from a single individual or species to all life in the universe.
Many methods can be used to explain the origin of all life, including:
- Abiogenesis or biopoiesis. Molecules like DNA or RNA may assemble themselves naturally, forming life out of inorganic substances. This literally means "not organic creation".
- Panspermia. This idea states that life first developed somewhere else, but was carried to a world. Meteorites or intelligent aliens may be the culprit, but the focus here is that life came from afar.
- Higher power. This idea states that a godlike being designed life, often without any evolution involved. It is often religious.
... and the development of a single species often focuses on
- Evolution. If the question is not asking about the very start of life, but rather how a single species came about, it will likely refer to how a species developed over time.
Relevant tags include evolution, biology, and sometimes religion.
