Biosphere Origin and Evolution

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XX

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2. Problems of Biosphere Evolution and Origin of Life

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. On Important Stages of Geosphere and Biosphere Evolution

      • N.L. Dobretsov, N.A. Kolchanov, V.V. Suslov

      Pages 3-23

   3. Microbial Biosphere

      • G.A. Zavarzin

      Pages 25-42

3. Prebiological Stages of Evolution and RNA World on the Earth and in the Space

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 43-43

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   2. Astrocatalysis Hypothesis for Origin of Life Problem

      • V.N. Snytnikov

      Pages 45-53

   3. Comets, Carbonaceous Meteorites, and the Origin of the Biosphere

      • Hoover R.B.

      Pages 55-68

   4. Hierarchical Scale-Free Representation of Biological Realm—Its Origin and Evolution

      • Zhuravlev Yu.N., Avetisov V.A.

      Pages 69-88

   5. The Prebiotic Phase of the Origin of Life as Seen by a Physical Chemist

      • V. N. Parmon

      Pages 89-101

   6. Prebiotic Carbohydrates and Their Derivates

      • O.P. Pestunova, A.N. Simonov, V.N. Snytnikov, V.N. Parmon

      Pages 103-117

   7. Theoretical and Computer Modeling of Evolution of Autocatalytic Systems in a Flow Reactor

      • S.I. Bartsev, V.V. Mezhevikin

      Pages 119-129

   8. RNA World: First Steps Towards Functional Molecules

      • A.V Lutay, M.A. Zenkova, V.V. Vlassov

      Pages 131-142

   9. Trans Hammerhead Ribozyme: Ligation vs. Cleavage

      • M.A. Vorobjeva, A.S. Privalova, A.G. Venyaminova, V.V. Vlassov

      Pages 143-155

   10. Paradoxical Bistate Status of a Prebiotic Microsystem: Universal Predecessor of Life

       • V.N. Kompanichenko

       Pages 157-166

4. Archaen–Proterozoic Ecosystems: Their Interaction and Contemporary Analogous

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 167-167

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   2. The Ancient Anoxic Biosphere Was Not As We Know It

      • A.E. Fallick, V.A. Melezhik, B.M. Simonson

      Pages 169-188

   3. Evolutionary Aspects of Geochemical Activity of Microbial Mats in Lakes and Hydrotherms of Baikal Rift Zone

      • B.B. Namsaraev, V.M. Gorlenko, Z.B Namsaraev, D.D. Barkhutova, L.P. Kozyreva, O.P. Dagurova et al.

      Pages 189-201

   4. On the concept for the Organization of the Modern Biosphere in the Terrestrial Subsurface

      • A.A. Oborin, L.M. Rubinstein, V.T. Khmurchik

      Pages 203-209

   5. Biomineralization and Evolution. Coevolution of Mineral and Biological Worlds

      • I.S Barskov

      Pages 211-218

   6. Visualization of the Silicon Biomineralization in Cyanobacteria, Sponges and Diatoms

      • Ye.V. Likhoshway, E.G. Sorokovikova, O.I. Belykh, O.L.V. Kaluzhnaya, S.I. Belikov, Ye.D. Bedoshvili et al.

      Pages 219-230

Modern natural science shows that the infancy of life on Earth experienced prebiotic evolution and included the emergence of primitive self-reproducing biologic forms and their systems. The subsequent coevolution of inorganic environment and biologic systems resulted in global propagation of life over the Earth and its enormous diversification. Diverse living organisms colonized the land, water, and atmosphere, as well as upper layers of the lithosphere, thereby forming the biosphere. Formerly, it was thought that abiogenic synthesis of prebiotic matter occurred in the Earth’s atmosphere on land surface. However, the presence of life signs in rocks more than 3. 5 Gyr old suggests that the chemical matter evolution stage with synthesis of organic compounds from simple molecules is more likely to have occurred in the preglobal circumstellar disk together with the RNA world and the emergence of life itself. This notion removes the restriction imposed by the Earth’s age and environmental conditions on the young Earth. It is favored by detection of intricate organic compounds on meteorites, comets, and (according to spectral data) in gas–dust nebulae. The detection of life traces in meteorite bodies of the same age as the Earth and the Solar System indicates that life in the latter can be older than the Earth as documented by geologic records. The key features of living systems allowing their existence in time and space are self-reproduction and ability to evolve. The inseparability of these features was expressed by N. V.

• Biom
• Evolution
• Seen
• biosphere
• coevolution
• ecosystem
• environment
• genes
• life problem
• sponges
• the origin

From the reviews:

"The contents of this dense volume are mainly derived from a Russian Academy of Sciences research program of the same name, culminating in a conference held in Novosibirsk in 2005. … Dobretsov … and colleagues have compiled papers by microbiologists, chemists, geologists, paleobiologists, geneticists, and archaeologists. The book introduces novel theoretical frameworks and new data in many areas … . Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and researchers/faculty." (W. L. Cressler, CHOICE, Vol. 45 (10), June, 2008)

• Inst. Geology, Mineralogy and Geophysics, Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, 630090 Novosibrisk, Russia

  Nikolay Dobretsov

• Institute of Cytology and Genetics, 630090,Novosibirsk, Russia

  Nikolay Kolchanov

• Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moskva 117647, Russia

  Alexey Rozanov

• Inst. Microbiology Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Oktyabrya Moskva 117312, Russia

  Georgy Zavarzin

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