Only a few routes have been described for the prebiotic synthesis of phospholipids. For instance, activation of mixtures of fatty acids and glycerol phosphates gives rise to self-assembling (lyso)phosphatidic acids, the simplest of phospholipids. However, pathways leading to more complex phospholipids (e.g., phosphatidylcholines) remain scarce. under primitive Earth conditions relied upon substrates (marked*) not known to be prebiotically available.