Links Between Geological Processes, Microbial Activities & Evolution of Life PDF Download

Author: Yildirim Dilek
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402083068
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 359

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Book Description
Microbial systems in extreme environments and in the deep biosphere may be analogous to potential life on other planetary bodies and hence may be used to investigate the possibilities of extraterrestrial life. This book examines the mode and nature of links between geological processes and microbial activities and their significance for the origin and evolution of life on the Earth and possibly on other planets. This is a truly interdisciplinary science with societal relevance.

Author: Jens Kallmeyer
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110300133
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 344

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Book Description
Over the last two decades, exploration of the deep subsurface biosphere has developed into a major research area. New findings constantly challenge our concepts of global biogeochemical cycles and the ultimate limits to life. In order to explain our observations from deep subsurface ecosystems it is necessary to develop truly interdisciplinary approaches, ranging from microbiology and geochemistry to physics and modeling. This book aims to bring together a wide variety of topics, covering the broad range of issues that are associated with deep biosphere exploration. Not only does the book present case studies of selected projects, but also treats questions arising from our current knowledge. Despite nearly two decades of research, there are still many boundaries to exploration caused by technical limitations and one section of the book is devoted to these technical challenges and the latest developments in this field. This volume will be of high interest to biologists, chemists and earth scientists all working on the deep biosphere.

Author: Vinod Tewari
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 940070397X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 739

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Book Description
STROMATOLITES: Interaction of Microbes with Sediments provides an overview and latest information about the formation of Stromatolites as a result of interaction of microbes with sediments. Eighty-three expert scientists from twenty-seven countries present the chapters in this volume which have been reviewed by thirty four referees. The volume deals with ancient to modern examples of stromatolites and microorganisms which are observed in various diverse environments, such as: marine, nonmarine, lacustrine and extreme geographical areas covering almost the whole earth. The reviews are original articles written by leading experienced experts, some chapters deal with latest instrumental techniques used for the study of microbes and Stromatolites. Other chapters have been contributed by young researchers who revealed updated data on Stromatolites. The astrobiological implications of early microbiota, sulfur isotopic ratios, microbialites in extreme conditions on earth has opened up new vistas in the search of extraterrestrial life.

Author: David Wacey
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402093896
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
When did life first appear on Earth and what form did it take? The answer to this intriguing and fundamentally important question lies somewhere within the early Archean rock record. The young Earth was, however, a very different place to that we know today and numerous pitfalls await our interpretation of these most ancient rocks. The first half of this practical guide equips the reader with the background knowledge to successfully evaluate new potentially biological finds from the Archean rock record. Successive steps are covered, from locating promising samples in the field, through standard petrography and evaluation of antiquity and biogenicity criteria, to the latest state of the art geochemical techniques. The second half of the guide uniquely brings together all the materials that have been claimed to comprise the earliest fossil record into an easily accessible, fully illustrated format. This will be a handbook that every Archean geologist, palaeobiologist and astrobiologist will wish to have in their backpack or on their lab-bench.

Author: Tom Fenchel
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0124159745
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Book Description
Bacterial Biogeochemistry, Third Edition focuses on bacterial metabolism and its relevance to the environment, including the decomposition of soil, food chains, nitrogen fixation, assimilation and reduction of carbon nitrogen and sulfur, and microbial symbiosis. The scope of the new edition has broadened to provide a historical perspective, and covers in greater depth topics such as bioenergetic processes, characteristics of microbial communities, spatial heterogeneity, transport mechanisms, microbial biofilms, extreme environments and evolution of biogeochemical cycles. Provides up-to-date coverage with an enlarged scope, a new historical perspective, and coverage in greater depth of topics of special interest Covers interactions between microbial processes, atmospheric composition and the earth's greenhouse properties Completely rewritten to incorporate all the advances and discoveries of the last 20 years such as applications in the exploration for ore deposits and oil and in remediation of environmental pollution

Author: Markus Knoflacher
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3662694239
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 704

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Author: Marion Eugene Bickford
Publisher: Geological Society of America
ISBN: 0813725003
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 620

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Book Description
"This volume covers many of the important advances in the geological sciences from 1963 to 2013. These advances include understanding plate tectonics, exploration of the Moon and Mars, development of new computing and analytical technologies, understanding of the role of microbiology in geologic processes, and many others"--Provided by publisher.

Author: Muriel Gargaud
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642112714
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 1890

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Book Description
Astrobiology is a remarkably interdisciplinary field. This reference serves as a key to understanding technical terms from the different subfields of astrobiology, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, the geosciences and the space sciences.

Author: Liudmila L. Demina
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319413406
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 219

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Book Description
This volume synthesizes the relevant data that is fundamental to our understanding of trace metal biogeochemistry and the ecology of biological communities of deep-sea vent systems. It presents the combined results of biological and geochemical research and analyzes the microdistribution of animals and the spatial structure of vent communities. Careful consideration is given to the export of iron and other trace metals from hydrothermal vents. The environmental conditions to be found in deep-sea hydrothermal community habitats, along with the trace metal behavior in biotope water are characterized and the sources and forms of trace metals taken up by dominant hydrothermal vent animals are discussed. Special attention is paid to the poorly investigated deep biosphere of the sub-seafloor igneous crust. The book is illustrated with a wealth of exceptional deep-sea photos taken by the manned submersible “Mir”, and a dedicated chapter focuses on the role of deep manned submersibles in ocean research. The book will be of interest to researchers and students in the fields of oceanography, geochemistry, biology, the environmental sciences and marine ecology.

Author: Jens Boenigk
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3662463946
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 410

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Book Description
This uniquely interdisciplinary textbook explores the exciting and complex relationship between Earth’s geological history and the biodiversity of life. Its innovative design provides a seamless learning experience, clarifying major concepts step by step with detailed textual explanations complemented by detailed figures, diagrams and vibrant pictures. Thanks to its layout, the respective concepts can be studied individually, as part of the broader framework of each chapter, or as they relate to the book as a whole. It provides in-depth coverage of: - Earth’s formation and subsequent geological history, including patterns of climate change and atmospheric evolution; - The early stages of life, from microbial ‘primordial soup’ theories to the fossil record’s most valuable contributions; - Mechanisms of mutual influence between living organisms and the environment: how life changed Earth’s history whilst, at the same time, environmental pressures continue to shape the evolution of species; - Basic ideas in biodiversity studies: species concepts, measurement techniques, and global distribution patterns; - Biological systematics, from their historical origins in Greek philosophy and Biblical stories to Darwinian evolution by natural selection, and to phylogenetics based on cutting-edge molecular techniques. This book’s four major sections offer a fresh cross-disciplinary overview of biodiversity and the Earth’s history. Among many other concepts, they reveal the massive diversity of eukaryotes, explain the geological processes behind fossilisation, and provide an eye-opening account of the relatively short period of human evolution in the context of Earth’s 4.6 billion-year history. Employing a combination of proven didactic tools, the book is simultaneously a reading reference, illustrated guide, and encyclopaedia of organismal biology and geology. It is aimed at school- and university-level students, as well as members of the public fascinated by the intricate interrelationship of living organisms and their environment.