Overview

This volume integrates the latest findings on earliest life forms, identified and characterised in some of the oldest rocks on Earth. New material from prominent researchers in the field is presented and evaluated in the context of previous work. Emphasis is placed on the integration of analytical methods with observational techniques and experimental simulations. The opening section focuses on submarine hot springs that the majority of researchers postulates served as the cradle of life on Earth. In subsequent sections, evidence for life in strongly metamorphosed rocks such as those in Greenland is evaluated and early ecosystems identified in the well preserved Barberton and Pilbara successions in Southern Africa and Western Australia. The final section includes a number of contributions from authors with alternate perspectives on the evidence and record of early life on Earth. Audience This volume will be valuable to researchers and graduate students in biogeosciences, geochemistry, paleontology and geology interested in the origin of life on earth.

Full Product Details

Author:   Suzanne D. Golding ,  Miryam Glikson
Publisher:   Springer
Imprint:   Springer
Edition:   2011 ed.
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 2.40cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.732kg
ISBN:  

9789048187935

ISBN 10:   9048187931
Pages:   316
Publication Date:   23 September 2010
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Preface Contributors Dedication to John F. Lindsay Introduction; Miryam Glikson and Suzanne D. Golding Part I: Submarine hot springs and venting environments - cradle of life Earliest seafloor hydrothermal systems on Earth: Comparison with modern analogues; Suzanne D. Golding et al Archean hydrothermal systems in the Barberton Greenstone Belt and their significance as a habitat for early life; Axel Hofmann Birth of biomolecules from the warm wet sheets of clays near spreading centres; Lynda.B. Williams et al Part II: Evidence and record of earliest life on Earth Towards a null hypothesis for stromatolites; Martin D. Brasier Trace element geochemistry as a tool for interpreting microbialites; Gregory E. Webb and Balz S. Kamber A modern perspective on ancient life: microbial mats in sandy marine settings from the Archean Era to today; Nora Noffke Early life record from nitrogen isotopes; Daniele L. Pinti and  Ko Hashizume Part III: Distinguishing biological from abiotically synthesized organic matter in the early archean Integration of observational and analytical methodologies to characterize organic matter in early Archean rocks: distinguishing biological from abiotically synthesized carbonaceous matter structures; Miryam Glikson et al Bugs or gunk? Nanoscale methods for assessing the biogenicity of ancient microfossils and organic matter; Bradley T. De Gregorio et al What can carbon isotopes tell us about sources of reduced carbon in rocks from the early Earth; Thomas M. McCollom Index

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