Evolution of Hydrothermal Ecosystems on Earth (and Mars) - No. 202 (CIBA Foundation Symposia Series)
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Hydrothermal ecosystems can be expected to have existed on Earth since life arose. A hyperthermophilic lifestyle has been proposed for the common ancestor of life and submarine hydrothermal vents are a candidate site for the origin of life. An origin of life at high temperatures appears most probable, although an alternative hypothesis has hyperthermophiles as the only survivors of bolide impacts during the last stages of planetary accretion. Our interest in these ecosystems stems in part from research to develop strategies for the search for fossil life on Mars. This may well be our best opportunity in the near future to test whether life on Earth is a ‘unique experiment, or whether there is, or was, life elsewhere in the Solar System (and by extension, the Universe). In search for analogous fossil systems on Earth it is unfortunate that the palaeobiology of ancient hydrothermal ecosystems is almost completely unknown. This is because of lack of research on this topic, not absence of deposits on which to work. As a result of mineral exploration, many fossil subaqueous and subaerial spring systems are known: numerous gold and base metal deposits of all ages back to Archaean are in such ‘exhalative, ‘epithermal and ‘Kuroko-style systems. This book focuses attention on the history of high temperature ecosystems, bringing together biologists working on extant systems, especially from the point of view of microbiology and molecular phylogeny, with palaeobiologists working on ancient examples or who are familiar with microbial palaeobiology, geologists who know how to find such systems and who know what their tectonic, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics are, and planetary geologists who have a chance of finding such systems elsewhere.
The publisher, John Wiley & Sons
Hydrothermal ecosystems are expected to have existed on Earth since life began. An origin of life at high temperatures now appears most probable. Research to develop strategies for the search of fossil life on Mars may well be our best opportunity to test whether life on Earth is a "unique experiment", or whether there is, or ever was, life elsewhere in the Solar system (and by extension, the Universe). Focusing attention on the history of high temperature ecosystems and bringing together biologists, geologists, and paleobiologists for the first time, there now seems real reason to believe in life on Mars. This is an exciting overview of the latest possibilities of life on Mars; with interdisciplinary discussion of the early evolution of life in hydrothermal ecosystems on Earth, as yet unheard. Consideration of data on Earth and Mars is unusual in the book in that if focuses specifically on the problem of remote sensing and brings in geologists whose work in this area is relevant to search for evidence of life on Earth and Mars.
Evolution of Hydrothermal Ecosystems on Earth (and Mars) - No. 202 (CIBA Foundation Symposia Series),CIBA Foundation Symposium ,John Wiley & Sons,047196509X,Astronomy - Solar System,Congresses,Earth Sciences - General,Exobiology,Hot spring ecology,Life,Life (Biology),Life Sciences - Ecology,Life Sciences - Evolution,Organic Evolution,Origin,Science,Science/Mathematics,Applied ecology,Environmental science,Evolution,Science / Ecology
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