The Oparin-Haldane theory proposed that organic evolution began when simple organic compounds formed in the primordial oceans and aggregated into coacervates - self-replicating droplets surrounded by membranes. These coacervates were the first living cells, which evolved over time into more complex life forms including monerans, protistans, fungi, plants and animals as the early Earth cooled and chemical reactions became possible in the reducing atmosphere.