Bootstrapping the cellular machinery

Factual Questions
1

Sometimes I do a little blacksmithing and when I want to make something, I might have to first make several simpler tools to help me make it. Is there an known or speculated process by which the more complicated parts of the cellular machinery, such as ribosomes, developed? When we look at undersea vents, do we currently see anything like this still taking place?

Thanks for your help,
Rob

2

Ribosomes are ribozymes, their active site being composed of RNA. They are thought to be a relict of a time when most of the cellular machinery was composed of nucleic acid.