RNA世界的概念是由亚历山大·里奇Alexander Rich在1962年首次提出的<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Neveu |first1=Marc |last2=Kim |first2=Hyo-Joong |last3=Benner |first3=Steven A. |date=22 April 2013 |title=The 'Strong' RNA World Hypothesis: Fifty Years Old |journal=Astrobiology |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=391–403 |bibcode=2013AsBio..13..391N |doi=10.1089/ast.2012.0868}}</ref> ,而这个术语则是由沃尔特·吉尔伯特Walter Gilbert在1986年创造的。<ref name="Cech2012">{{cite journal |last=Cech |first=Thomas R. |date=July 2012 |title=The RNA Worlds in Context |journal=Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology |volume=4 |issue=7 |page=a006742 |doi=10.1101/cshperspect.a006742 |pmc=3385955 |pmid=21441585}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Gilbert |first=Walter |date=20 February 1986 |title=Origin of life: The RNA world |journal=Nature |volume=319 |issue=6055 |page=618 |bibcode=1986Natur.319..618G |doi=10.1038/319618a0}}</ref> 在2020年3月,天文学家户谷友则 Tomonori Totani提出了一种统计方法,用于解释初始的活性RNA分子是如何在宇宙大爆炸后某个时间随机产生的。<ref name="UT-20200310">{{cite news |last=Gough |first=Evan |title=Life Could be Common Across the Universe, Just Not in Our Region |url=https://www.universetoday.com/145304/life-could-be-common-across-the-universe-just-not-in-our-region/ |date=10 March 2020 |work=Universe Today |accessdate=15 March 2020 }}</ref><ref name="SR-20200203">{{cite journal |last=Totani |first=Tomonori |title=Emergence of life in an inflationary universe |date=3 February 2020 |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=10 |number=1671 |pages=1671 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-58060-0 |pmid=32015390 |pmc=6997386 |arxiv=1911.08092 |bibcode=2020NatSR..10.1671T |doi-access=free }}</ref> | RNA世界的概念是由亚历山大·里奇Alexander Rich在1962年首次提出的<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Neveu |first1=Marc |last2=Kim |first2=Hyo-Joong |last3=Benner |first3=Steven A. |date=22 April 2013 |title=The 'Strong' RNA World Hypothesis: Fifty Years Old |journal=Astrobiology |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=391–403 |bibcode=2013AsBio..13..391N |doi=10.1089/ast.2012.0868}}</ref> ,而这个术语则是由沃尔特·吉尔伯特Walter Gilbert在1986年创造的。<ref name="Cech2012">{{cite journal |last=Cech |first=Thomas R. |date=July 2012 |title=The RNA Worlds in Context |journal=Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology |volume=4 |issue=7 |page=a006742 |doi=10.1101/cshperspect.a006742 |pmc=3385955 |pmid=21441585}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Gilbert |first=Walter |date=20 February 1986 |title=Origin of life: The RNA world |journal=Nature |volume=319 |issue=6055 |page=618 |bibcode=1986Natur.319..618G |doi=10.1038/319618a0}}</ref> 在2020年3月,天文学家户谷友则 Tomonori Totani提出了一种统计方法,用于解释初始的活性RNA分子是如何在宇宙大爆炸后某个时间随机产生的。<ref name="UT-20200310">{{cite news |last=Gough |first=Evan |title=Life Could be Common Across the Universe, Just Not in Our Region |url=https://www.universetoday.com/145304/life-could-be-common-across-the-universe-just-not-in-our-region/ |date=10 March 2020 |work=Universe Today |accessdate=15 March 2020 }}</ref><ref name="SR-20200203">{{cite journal |last=Totani |first=Tomonori |title=Emergence of life in an inflationary universe |date=3 February 2020 |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=10 |number=1671 |pages=1671 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-58060-0 |pmid=32015390 |pmc=6997386 |arxiv=1911.08092 |bibcode=2020NatSR..10.1671T |doi-access=free }}</ref> |