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A.Word.A.Day--primogenitor

primogenitor (pry-muh-JEN-i-tuhr) noun

1. The earliest ancestor.
2. An ancestor or forefather.

[From Latin primus (first) + gignere (to beget).]

"One theory focuses on 'Clay World,' where proteins and the building blocks of genes assemble on clay particles. Another posits a 'Hot World', a scenario that places life's primogenitor at the mouth of undersea hot vents, where chemicals that serve as an early energy source are in abundant supply."
Shannon Brownlee; A cosmic Imperative: Make life; US News & World Report; Aug 19, 1996.

This week's theme: Words about relations

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