Biological Innovations that Built the World

A Four-billion-year Journey through Life and Earth History
1. Auflage 2019
ISBN: 978-3-030-16059-3
Verlag: Springer Nature Switzerland

Buch, Englisch, 490 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 875 g

The book is a detailed account of major biological events that contributed to create the present world and our species, with emphasis on cause-effect interrelationships and environmental impact. Its main goal is to guide the reader toward an understanding of the continuity of life across diversity, and of its large-scale interactions with the planet. Combining scientific soundness with a constant effort for clarity, the book begins with a cloud of dust in a corner of the Galaxy and, covering an immense lapse of time, terminates with an organism that ponders about the texture of the Universe. Comprehensive, updated references added to each chapter will help the reader wishing to expand any of the topics. A glossary explains less common technical terms.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Ligrone, Roberto

Fachgebiete

• Technische Wissenschaften Umwelttechnik | Umwelttechnologie Umwelttechnik
• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Evolutionsbiologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Mikrobiologie
• Geowissenschaften Geographie | Raumplanung Biogeographie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. The Origins.- Chapter 3. The Birth of Life.- Chapter 4. Moving to the Light: The Evolution of Photosynthesis.- Chapter 5. The Great Oxygenation. - Chapter 6. Eukaryotes.- Chapter 7. Sexual Reproduction.- Chapter 8. Multicellularity.- Chapter 9. The Chloroplast and Photosynthetic Eukaryotes.- Chapter 10. The Animals.- Chapter 11. Land Plants.- Chapter 12. The Emergence of Humanity.- Chapter 13. Synopsis.- Chapter 14. Glossary.- Chapter 15. Analytic Index.

Über Autor(innen)

Roberto Ligrone: Professor of Plant Biology at the Second University of Naples, now University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, he retired in 2014. His main research interest was evolutionary biology of lower land plants, a field in which he has gained international reputation. He is also an author of several textbooks and dissemination papers.