Most likely, it will be many years before research can completely answer any of the three questions mentioned here. The evolution of photosynthesis refers to the origin and subsequent evolution of photosynthesis, the process by which light energy synthesizes sugars from carbon dioxide and water, releasing oxygen as a waste product. However studies of rRNA indicate that an universal ancestor split into 3 lineages. Archaea were thought to be the most primitive group. And it doesn't really matter if aliens or meteorites brought the first living cell to earth, because the aliens would have come into existence through either spontaneous creation or supernatural creation at some point -- something had to create the first alien cells.. Scientists watch germs evolve into superbugs Growth patterns on a giant plate of goo revealed how quickly they develop drug resistance A giant plate of food more than a meter (yard) long helped scientists watch bacteria overcome the killing effects of antibiotic drugs. Did archaea evolve before bacteria? The process of photosynthesis was discovered by Jan Ingenhousz, a Dutch-born British physician and scientist, first publishing about it in 1779. Archaea and Bacteria are small, relatively simple cells surrounded by a membrane and a cell wall, with a circular strand of DNA containing their genes. Scientists are discovering ways in which single cells might have evolved traits that entrenched them into group behavior, paving the way for multicellular life. These discoveries could shed light on how complex extraterrestrial life might evolve on alien worlds. That’s like asking if your family tree is true, why didn’t everybody in your generation turn out to be you. Living things have evolved into three large clusters of closely related organisms, called "domains": Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryota. Indiana University biologist Dr Michael Lynch conducts research on early evolution of bacteria; finds that eukaryote bacteria, which is larger and more complex than prokaryote bacteria, is … Say you’ve got bacterial “A.” It’s hanging out in the ocean, doing fine.