E-Book, Englisch, 234 Seiten
ISBN: 978-1-4832-6977-1
Verlag: Elsevier Reference Monographs
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)
The book presents the discussions on the processes that led to the beginning of life on earth based on information gathered from the study of the Early Precambrian period. Topics on the origin of the atmosphere; early Precambrian weathering and sedimentation; carbon contents of early Precambrian rocks; and the establishment of the earliest date in the Precambrian period at which unambiguous living forms existed are expounded in the text.
Geologists, biologists, chemists, paleobiologists, and students will find the book insightful and interesting.
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Weitere Infos & Material
1;Front Cover;1
2;Chemical Evolution of the Early Precambrian;4
3;Copyright Page;5
4;Table of Contents;6
5;List of Contributors;10
6;Preface;12
7;Chapter 1. Origin of the Atmosphere: History of the Release of Volatiles from the Solid Earth;14
7.1;I. Introduction;14
7.2;II. Secondary Origin of the Atmosphere;15
7.3;III. Evidence for Early Degassing;16
7.4;IV. Evidence for Continuing Release of Volatiles from the Upper Mantle;19
7.5;V. Degassing and Recycling;21
7.6;VI. Conclusion;22
7.7;Acknowledgments;22
7.8;REFERENCES;22
8;Chapter 2. Early Precambrian Weathering and Sedimentation: An Impressionistic View;26
8.1;I. Temperatures of the Early Precambrian;27
8.2;II. Weathering at 4.3 Billion Years before the Present;29
8.3;III. Sedimentation at 4.3 Billion Years before the Present;31
8.4;REFERENCES;36
9;Chapter 3. Very Old ( > 3100 Million Years) Rocks in North America;38
9.1;REFERENCES;39
10;Chapter 4. Three Arguments for Continual Evolution of Sial throughout Geologic Time;40
10.1;I. Introduction;41
10.2;II. Proterozoic Shields;42
10.3;III. Phanerozoic Continental Growth;44
10.4;IV. Composition of Graywackes;47
10.5;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;50
10.6;REFERENCES;50
11;Chapter 5. Archean Geology and Evidence of Ancient Life in the Slave Structural Province, Canada;54
11.1;I. Yellowknife-Hearne Lake Area;57
11.2;II. Nature of the Archean Crust in the Slave Province;61
11.3;III. The Extent of the Archean Record in the Slave Province;63
11.4;IV. Evidence of Ancient Life in the Archean of the Slave Province;64
11.5;REFERENCES;66
12;Chapter 6. Carbon Contents of Early Precambrian Rocks;68
12.1;Acknowledgments;73
12.2;REFERENCES;73
13;Chapter 7. Condensed Phosphates from Abiotic Systems in Nature;74
13.1;I. Introduction;74
13.2;II. The Formation of Condensed Phosphates;75
13.3;III. Examples of the Formation of Condensed Phosphates;75
13.4;IV. The Preparation of P4O10;76
13.5;V. The Removal of M2O from Orthophosphate;76
13.6;VI. The Removal of Water of Constitution;77
13.7;VII. Oxygen Substitution Reaction;79
13.8;VIII. The Decomposition of Salts of Lower Oxides;79
13.9;IX. Condensed Phosphate Minerals;79
13.10;X. Conclusion;80
13.11;REFERENCES;80
14;Chapter 8. Hydrocarbons and Fatty Acids in Oil Shale of Permian Irati Formation, Brazil;82
14.1;I. Introduction;83
14.2;II. Experimental;83
14.3;III. Results;84
14.4;IV. Discussion;89
14.5;Acknowledgment;91
14.6;REFERENCES;91
15;Chapter 9. The Stable Isotopes of Hydrogen in Precambrian Organic Matter;94
15.1;I. Introduction;94
15.2;II. Experimental;95
15.3;III. Discussion;95
15.4;REFERENCES;99
16;Chapter 10. Evolution of the Terrestrial Oxygen Budget;100
16.1;I. Introduction;100
16.2;II. Geochemical Carbon Cycle and Terrestrial Oxygen Budget;101
16.3;III. Terrestrial 13C Mass Balance;103
16.4;IV. Stationary Sedimentary Mass and Evolution of Photosynthetic Oxygen;107
16.5;V. Paleoenvironmental Implications of the Model;109
16.6;Acknowledgments;111
16.7;REFERENCES;111
17;Chapter 11. Evidences of Archean Life;114
17.1;I. Chemical Evidence;114
17.2;II. Morphological Evidence;115
17.3;REFERENCES;116
18;Chapter 12. Earliest Evidence of Fossil Eucaryotes;120
18.1;REFERENCES;122
19;Chapter 13. Paleobiology of Stromatolites;124
19.1;I. Introduction;125
19.2;II. The Stromatolites;126
19.3;III. Stromatolite Biostratigraphy;129
19.4;IV. Paleobiology of Stromatolites;131
19.5;V. Gunflint Stromatolites;134
19.6;VI. Conclusions;136
19.7;Acknowledgments;142
19.8;REFERENCES;142
20;Chapter 14. Natural Mechanisms of Protection of a Blue-Green Alga against Ultraviolet Light;146
20.1;I. Introduction;146
20.2;II. Materials and Methods;148
20.3;Acknowledgments;153
20.4;REFERENCES;153
21;Chapter 15. Kakabekia, a Review of Its Physiological and Environmental Features and Their Relation to Its Possible Ancient Affinities;156
21.1;I. Material and Methods;158
21.2;II. Results and Discussion;159
21.3;Acknowledgments;167
21.4;References;167
22;Chapter 16. A Discussion of Biogenicity Criteria in a Geological Context with Examples from a Very Old Greenstone Belt, a Late Precambrian Deformed Zone, and Tectonized Phanerozoic Rocks;168
22.1;Acknowledgments;182
22.2;REFERENCES;182
23;Chapter 17. Synthetic Organic Microstructures as Model Systems for Early Protobionts;184
23.1;I. Synthesis of Organic Microstructures;185
23.2;II. Morphology by Light Microscopy;185
23.3;III. Morphology by Transmission Electron Microscopy;189
23.4;IV. Chemical Studies;189
23.5;V. Catalytic Properties;189
23.6;VI. Kinetics of Synthesis;190
23.7;VII. Discussion;190
23.8;Acknowledgments;192
23.9;REFERENCES;192
24;Chapter 18. Comparison of Laboratory Silicified Blue-Green Algae with Precambrian Microorganisms;194
24.1;REFERENCES;195
25;Chapter 19. Eoastrion and the Metallogenium Problem;198
25.1;REFERENCES;199
26;Chapter 20. Evolution of Mitosis and the Late Appearance of Metazoa, Metaphyta, and Fungi;200
26.1;REFERENCES;201
27;Chapter 21. Iron-Sulfur Proteins and Superoxide Dismutases in the Evolution of Photosynthetic Bacteria and Algae;204
27.1;I. The Iron-Sulfur Proteins;205
27.2;II. Superoxide Dismutases;213
27.3;REFERENCES;222
28;Chapter 22. Low Oxygen Levels and the Palmitoyl CoA Desaturase of Yeast: Relation to Primitive Biological Evolution;224
28.1;REFERENCES;227
29;Subject Index;228
