# The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system

*PRI Rank #14 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/genomics-and-phylogenetic-studies/2026/rank-14*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #14 |
| 18m citations | 169 |
| Journal | Nature Ecology & Evolution |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41559-024-02461-1 |
| Corresponding authors | Edmund R. R. Moody, Davide Pisani, Tom A. Williams, Timothy M. Lenton, Philip C. J. Donoghue |
| Institution | University of Bristol, United Kingdom |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/genomics-and-phylogenetic-studies/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s41559-024-02461-1](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02461-1)

## Topics

last universal common ancestor (LUCA) · Divergence time estimation · pre-LUCA gene duplicates · cross-bracing calibration · microbial fossils · isotope records · phylogenetic reconciliation · genome size estimation · prokaryote-grade organism · anaerobic acetogen · early immune system · hydrogen recycling · atmospheric photochemistry · early ecosystem productivity · microbial community interactions · 4.2 Ga age estimate · core metabolism reconstruction · geochemistry dependence · Archean Earth system

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/genomics-and-phylogenetic-studies/2026. Accessed 2026-07-17.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```