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Craig many scientists are of the opinion extremophiles are similar to if not the first life.
They have this fantastic ability where their biological macromolecules are very thermally stable. The enzymes they have work at a vast range of temperatures and pH etc. The puny enzymes we have need 37C and strictly controlled chemical environments to even stay intact let alone do their work as an enzyme. Proteins are inherently temperature labile. The extremophiles have very temperature stable proteins.
We have traded off stabilty for efficiency by being warm blooded and temperature controlled. It leads to far more subtle complex controllable molecular interactions.
A simple example is when you boil a chicken egg. All the protein denatures and loses its conformation. The egg is now dead!
Bert
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