A self replicating molecule is: amino adenosine triacid ester. Who knows if it was the first in existence? Lee etal, in a 1996 Nature paper (vol 382) discovered a self-replicating peptide.
Recently, a paper was published in the Journal of the Americal Chemical Society by Isaac and Chmielewski (2002), vol 124 p 6808. There, they discuss the cycle of reproduction for one of a peptide chain called E1E2. They are able to get this particular chain to catalyze at an amazing rate, approaching that of natural enzymes, and all at condition found in nature.
If you want a good review article on abiogenesis that isn't too old, you can try the paper by McClendon, 1999, Earth Science Reviews, 47, pg 71-93. It is a review of the remaining lines of research I haven't covered, such as the earliest known fossil, theories on the origin of the earth, and the environment of the first billion years. It talks about models of survivability of organic matter if it falls to the Earth in the form of comets, and, of course, it discusses chemical simulations of life a-la Miller-Urey. This paper is quite good, and covers a lot of ground at a good intermediate level. I suggest everyone read it if they haven't already. You may be able to down load it from here, if you search for it.
So, Andrew, I've now shown you research on both ends of the life from lifelessness barrier. Each line of research advances at a pretty good rate (we did not know of a self replicating molecule 13 years ago, now we know of several). Do you think that the evidence for abiogenesis is more or less than that for any other theory? Could you show us that evidence?
Ah, OK by your definition then H2 was the first self-replicating molecule.
That's the garbage science that evolutionist/materialist/atheists try to get away with. What you are talking about is just a chemical chain reaction. It has nothing to do with abiogenesis. The problem of postulating abiogenesis through chemistry is twofold:
1. there is absolutely no bonds linearly among the DNA bases, so there can be no chemical explanation for it.
2. the sequence is clearly determined by function and the variety of possibilities is well nigh infinite. Your examples show a chemical reaction leading only to the same thing over and over. DNA to be useful has to be almost infinitely variable - as indeed it is.