T-loops and the origin of telomeres

Most eukaryotes stabilize the ends of their linear chromosomes with a telomerase-based system. Telomerase maintains specific repetitive sequences, which protect chromosome ends with the help of telomere-binding proteins. How did this elaborate system evolve? Here, I propose that telomere function was originally mediated by t-loops, which could have been generated by prokaryotic DNA-replication factors. These early telomeres would have required only the presence of a few repeats at chromosome ends. Telomerase could have been a later innovation with specific advantages for telomere function and regulation.