We describe the initial realization of behavior in the biosphere, which we term behavioral chemistry. If molecules are complex enough to attain a stochastic element to their structural conformation in such as a way as to radically affect their function in a biological (evolvable) setting, then they have the capacity to behave. This circumstance is described here as behavioral chemistry, unique in its definition from the colloquial chemical behavior.？ This transition between chemical behavior and behavioral chemistry need be explicit when discussing the root cause of behavior, which itself lies squarely at the origins of life and is the foundation of choice. ？RNA polymers of sufficient length meet the criteria for behavioral chemistry and therefore are capable of making a choice.
References
[1]
Dennett, D. Freedom Evolves; Viking: New York, NY, USA, 2003.
[2]
Cashmore, A.R. The Lucretian swerve: the biological basis of human behavior and the criminal justice system. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA？2010, 107, 4499–4504, doi:10.1073/pnas.0915161107.
[3]
De Duve, C. Vital Dust: Life as a Cosmic Imperative; Basic Books; HarperCollins: New York, NY, USA, 1995; pp. 257–267.
[4]
Lucretius. On the Nature of the Universe; Penguin: Harmondsworth, UK, 1951.
[5]
Gotshl, J. Erwin Schr？dinger's World View: The Dynamics of Knowledge and Reality, 1st ed. ed.; Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordecht, The Netherlands, 1992.
Szostak, J.W.; Bartel, D.P.; Luisi, P.L. Synthesizing life. Nature200？1409, 387–390.
[8]
Treiber, D.K.; Williamson, J.R. Exposing the kinetic traps in RNA folding. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol.？1999, 9, 339–345, doi:10.1016/S0959-440X(99)80045-1.
[9]
Celander, D.W.; Cech, T.R. Visualizing the higher order folding of a catalytic RNA molecule. Science？1991, 251, 401–407.
[10]
Emerick, V.L.; Woodson, S.A. Self-splicing of the Tetrahymena pre-rRNA is decreased by misfolding during transcription. Biochemistry？1993, 32, 14062–14067, doi:10.1021/bi00213a040.
[11]
Theimer, C.A.; Finger, L.D.; Trantirek, L.; Feigon, J. Mutations linked to dyskeratosis congenita cause changes in the structural equilibrium of telomerase RNA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA？2003, 100, 449–454, doi:10.1073/pnas.242720799.
[12]
Zhuang, X.; Kim, H.; Pereira, M.J.B.; Babcock, H.P.; Walter, N.G.; Chu, S. Correlating structural dynamics and function in single ribozyme molecules. Science？2002, 296, 1473–1476.
[13]
Ditzler, M.A.; Otyepka, M.; Sponer, J.; Walter, N.G. Molecular dynamics and quantum mechanics of RNA: Conformational and chemical change we can believe in. Accounts Chem. Res.？2010, 43, 40–47, doi:10.1021/ar900093g.
[14]
Robinson, A.; Southgate, C. A general definition of interpretation and its implications to origin of life research. Biol.Philos.？2010, 25, 163–181, doi:10.1007/s10539-009-9188-4.
[15]
Schmitt, T.; Lehman, N. Non-unity molecular heritability demonstrated by continuous evolution in vitro. Chem. Biol.？1999, 6, 857–869, doi:10.1016/S1074-5521(00)80005-8.
[16]
Hazelbauer, G.L. Bacterial chemotaxis: The early years of molecular studies. Annu. Rev. Microbiol.？2012, 66, 285–303, doi:10.1146/annurev-micro-092611-150120.
[17]
Kirschner, M.; Gerhart, J. Evolvability. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA？1998, 95, 8420–8427, doi:10.1073/pnas.95.15.8420.
[18]
Nowak, M.A. Evolutionary Dynamics: Exploring the Equations of Life; Harvard University Press: Cambridge, MA, USA, 2006; pp. 45–70.
