3. Colonies of Mixed Membranes: The First Evolutionary Ecosystem Before Genetics How Physical Life Transformed Into Physicochemical Evolution

This paper describes the emergence of the first evolutionary ecosystems formed by vesicles with mixed membranes — transitional structures between simple fatty‑acid vesicles and more stable proto‑phospholipid systems. Mixed membranes arose in environments rich in amphiphiles, glycerol, simple alcohols, mineral surfaces, and cyclic energy inputs such as wet–dry or thermal cycles.

These hybrid vesicles exhibited longer lifetimes, greater molecular retention, and the ability to form distinct internal microenvironments. Higher internal concentrations increased the likelihood of repeated reactions, enabling primitive reaction cycles and early physicochemical selection long before the appearance of genes or enzymes. Colonies of vesicles with different membrane compositions behaved like early ecosystems, where physical and chemical advantages determined survival.

Mixed membranes represent the critical bridge between physical life and physicochemical evolution, providing the first platform where selection, stability, and internal reaction networks could emerge.