{"product_id":"cradle-of-life-9780691088648","title":"Cradle of Life","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of the greatest mysteries in reconstructing the history of life on Earth has been the apparent absence of fossils dating back more than 550 million years. This work tells the story of the origins and earliest evolution of life and how that story has been unearthed. It is aimed at those interested in the origins of life on Earth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWinner of the 2000 Phi Beta Kappa Book Award in Science \"A book that bears out [Schopf's] assertion that science is enormously good fun!\"--Scientific American \"What were your very earliest ancestors like? I do not mean your great-great-great-grandparents. I mean the earliest life on the planet. In principle we all have a unique lineage of ancestors that runs all the way back to the origin of life. What was life like then--and is the supposed life on Mars our cousin? These are the problems palaeontologist Bill Schopf faces... It has been a while since I read a book with so much good sense, put over in so amicable a style. If I ever were to discover my great-great-great grandparents I hope they turn out to be as wise as Schopf.\"--Laurence Hurst, New Scientist \"In the well-written Cradle of Life, Schopf tells his own story of how Earth's early microbial biosphere was discovered.\"--Stefan Bengtson, Nature \"A very clear introduction to the first living things... Schopf ... adopts an unusually informal first-person style for this rangy exploration of how Pre-cambrian fossils came to light and what they've taught us.\"--Publishers Weekly \"An exceptional description of the field that is accessible to any educated lay reader.\"--Library Journal (starred review) \"Schopf combines his often entertaining personal story with an introduction to the discipline of paleobiology, with asides on the chemical makeup of life... A good introduction to the history of a science on the cutting edge.\"--Kirkus Reviews \"A good introduction to a quickly evolving topic... Schopf also offers a number of insider nuggets.\"--Choice \"Schopf's subject, the origin of life, is fascinating, and as significant as any question that has ever been asked in academia. His explanation of the science behind his conclusions is clear, his approach is well organized... This is a marvelous, magnificent, scientific adventure.\"--John R. Alden, Cleveland Plain Dealer \"Cradle of Life provides the best current popular overview of the first 85% of life's history on Earth, and that is history worth reading.\"--Robert M. Hazen, Physics Today \"An extraordinary account of a monumentally complex subject presented in simple and understandable terms, and in an eminently readable style.\"--Steve Voynick, Rock and Gem\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePrologue xi  Acknowledgments xv  Chapter 1. Darwin's Dilemma 3  Breakthrough to the Ancient Past 3  The Nature of Geologic Time 4  The \"Schoolbook\" History of Life 10  Darwin's Dilemma 13  Denouement 34  Chapter 2. Birth of a New Field of Science 35  The Floodgates Crack Open 35  Famous Figures Enter the Field 48  A Youngster Joins the Fray 52  The Floodgates Open Full Bore 61  Chapter 3. The Oldest Fossils and What They Mean 71  \"Trust but Verify\" 71  \"Real World Problems\" in the Search for Early Life 71  Questions and Answers about the Oldest Records of Life 75  The Oldest Fossils Known 99  Chapter 4. How Did Life Begin? 101  The Basics of Biology 101  The Universals of Life 107  How Did Monomers of CHON Arise on the Lifeless Earth? 108  Organic Monomers beyond the Earth 131  How Did Monomers Become Linked into Polymers? 134  From Monomers to Polymers toward Life 138  Chapter 5. Metabolic Memories of the Earliest Cells 139  How Did Cells Begin? 139  The Essentials of Life 143  Life's Earliest Way to Make a Living 150  Air and Light: A New Source of Glucose 155  Why Do We Breathe Oxygen? 158  The Four-Stage Development of Modern Metabolism 161  Chapter 6. So Far, So Fast, So Early? 164  How Old Is the Modern Ecosystem? 164  When Did Life Begin? 166  How Did Evolution Proceed So Far, So Fast, So Early? 168  Paleobiology: Fossils, Geology, and Geochemistry 169  Isotopic Evidence of Ancient Metabolisms 173  Paleobiology: Direct Evidence of Early Evolution 181  Chapter 7. Stromatolites: Earth's First High-Rise Condos 183  Nature Is Not Compartmentalized 183  Stromatolites: Earth's First High-Rise Condos 184  Stromatolites of the Geologic Past 195  What Are Stromatolites Good For? 201  Chapter 8. Cyanobacteria: Earth's Oldest \"Living Fossils\" 209  Modes and Tempos in the Evolution of Life 209  The Status Quo Evolution of Cyanobacteria 215  Evolution's Most Successful Ecologic Generalists 231  Chapter 9. Cells Like Ours Arise at Last 236  Life Like Us Has Cells Like Ours 236  DNA and Development: Keys to Eukaryotic Success 237  How Old Are the Eukaryotes? 240  Eukaryotes Perfect the Art of Cloning 243  Sex: A New Lifestyle Brings Major Change 246  The Wax and Wane of Precambrian Acritarchs 252  Prelude to the Phanerozoic 259  Chapter 10. Solution to Darwin's Dilemma 264  The Adventure of Science 264  Take-Home Lessons 269  Solution to Darwin's Dilemma 269  EPILOGUE EXTRAORDINARY CLAIMS! EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE? 279  Chapter 11. Fossils, Foibles, and Frauds 281  The Goal Is to \"Get It Right\" 281  \"Man, a Witness of the Deluge\" 282  Beringer's Lying Stones 291  Theories on the Nature of Fossils 299  Unearthing a Rosetta Stone 303  Chapter 12. The Hunt for Life on Mars 304  Hints of Ancient Martian Life? 304  NASA Stages a Press Conference 306  Meteorites from Mars 310  Search for the Smoking Gun 313  Lessons from the Hunt 324  Glossary 327  Further Reading 349  Index of Geologic Units and Genera and Species 357  Subject Index 361","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49403717779799,"sku":"9780691088648","price":37.8,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780691088648.jpg?v=1730484343","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/cradle-of-life-9780691088648","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}