The Revolutionary Origins of Life and Death

The Revolutionary Origins of Life and Death PDF Author: Pierre M. Durand
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022674793X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 236

Get Book Here

Book Description
The question of why an individual would actively kill itself has long been an evolutionary mystery. Pierre M. Durand’s ambitious book answers this question through close inspection of life and death in the earliest cellular life. As Durand shows us, cell death is a fascinating lens through which to examine the interconnectedness, in evolutionary terms, of life and death. It is a truism to note that one does not exist without the other, but just how does this play out in evolutionary history? These two processes have been studied from philosophical, theoretical, experimental, and genomic angles, but no one has yet integrated the information from these various disciplines. In this work, Durand synthesizes cellular studies of life and death looking at the origin of life and the evolutionary significance of programmed cellular death. The exciting and unexpected outcome of Durand’s analysis is the realization that life and death exhibit features of coevolution. The evolution of more complex cellular life depended on the coadaptation between traits that promote life and those that promote death. In an ironic twist, it becomes clear that, in many circumstances, programmed cell death is essential for sustaining life.

The Revolutionary Origins of Life and Death

The Revolutionary Origins of Life and Death PDF Author: Pierre M. Durand
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022674793X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 236

Get Book Here

Book Description
The question of why an individual would actively kill itself has long been an evolutionary mystery. Pierre M. Durand’s ambitious book answers this question through close inspection of life and death in the earliest cellular life. As Durand shows us, cell death is a fascinating lens through which to examine the interconnectedness, in evolutionary terms, of life and death. It is a truism to note that one does not exist without the other, but just how does this play out in evolutionary history? These two processes have been studied from philosophical, theoretical, experimental, and genomic angles, but no one has yet integrated the information from these various disciplines. In this work, Durand synthesizes cellular studies of life and death looking at the origin of life and the evolutionary significance of programmed cellular death. The exciting and unexpected outcome of Durand’s analysis is the realization that life and death exhibit features of coevolution. The evolution of more complex cellular life depended on the coadaptation between traits that promote life and those that promote death. In an ironic twist, it becomes clear that, in many circumstances, programmed cell death is essential for sustaining life.

Fossil Snakes of North America

Fossil Snakes of North America PDF Author: J. Alan Holman
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 9780253337214
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 412

Get Book Here

Book Description
"This volume includes detailed accounts of the morphology and distribution of the fossil snakes of North America and also remarks on their evolutionary, zoogeographic, and paleoecological patterns. The heart of the book consists of detailed systematic accounts of the known fossil snakes of North America and their localities. Extinct fossil taxa are discussed and illustrated, and many are re-described on the basis of new information. The book provides illustrations of diagnostic vertebrae and criteria for the identification of presently living fossil snake taxa as well as descriptions of the modern characteristics and ranges of these species." "Color photographs in the 16-page insert present a catalog of representative living snake species." --Book Jacket.

Origins

Origins PDF Author: Charles Darwin
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521898625
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 29

Get Book Here

Book Description
This special anniversary edition of Burkhardt's bestselling work, "Origins: Charles Darwin's Letters: A Selection 1825-1859," now includes previously unpublished letters.

The Auk

The Auk PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Birds
Languages : en
Pages : 774

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Search for Life's Origins

The Search for Life's Origins PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309042461
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 161

Get Book Here

Book Description
The field of planetary biology and chemical evolution draws together experts in astronomy, paleobiology, biochemistry, and space science who work together to understand the evolution of living systems. This field has made exciting discoveries that shed light on how organic compounds came together to form self-replicating molecules-the origin of life. This volume updates that progress and offers recommendations on research programs-including an ambitious effort centered on Mars-to advance the field over the next 10 to 15 years. The book presents a wide range of data and research results on these and other issues: The biogenic elements and their interaction in the interstellar clouds and in solar nebulae. Early planetary environments and the conditions that lead to the origin of life. The evolution of cellular and multicellular life. The search for life outside the solar system. This volume will become required reading for anyone involved in the search for life's beginnings-including exobiologists, geoscientists, planetary scientists, and U.S. space and science policymakers.

Life's Splendid Drama

Life's Splendid Drama PDF Author: Peter J. Bowler
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 9780226069210
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 556

Get Book Here

Book Description
As Bowler tracks major scientific debates over the emergence of the vertebrates, the origins of the main types of living animals, and the rise and extinction of groups such as the dinosaurs, his richly detailed accounts bring to light complex interactions among specialists in various fields of biology.

The Geographic Distribution of Life in North America

The Geographic Distribution of Life in North America PDF Author: Clinton Hart Merriam
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biogeography
Languages : en
Pages : 76

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems

The Limits of Organic Life in Planetary Systems PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309179564
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 116

Get Book Here

Book Description
The search for life in the solar system and beyond has to date been governed by a model based on what we know about life on Earth (terran life). Most of NASA's mission planning is focused on locations where liquid water is possible and emphasizes searches for structures that resemble cells in terran organisms. It is possible, however, that life exists that is based on chemical reactions that do not involve carbon compounds, that occurs in solvents other than water, or that involves oxidation-reduction reactions without oxygen gas. To assist NASA incorporate this possibility in its efforts to search for life, the NRC was asked to carry out a study to evaluate whether nonstandard biochemistry might support life in solar system and conceivable extrasolar environments, and to define areas to guide research in this area. This book presents an exploration of a limited set of hypothetical chemistries of life, a review of current knowledge concerning key questions or hypotheses about nonterran life, and suggestions for future research.

The Distribution of Bird-life in Colombia

The Distribution of Bird-life in Colombia PDF Author: Frank Michler Chapman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Birds
Languages : en
Pages : 858

Get Book Here

Book Description


Origin and Evolution of Earth

Origin and Evolution of Earth PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309117178
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 151

Get Book Here

Book Description
Questions about the origin and nature of Earth and the life on it have long preoccupied human thought and the scientific endeavor. Deciphering the planet's history and processes could improve the ability to predict catastrophes like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, to manage Earth's resources, and to anticipate changes in climate and geologic processes. At the request of the U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, and U.S. Geological Survey, the National Research Council assembled a committee to propose and explore grand questions in geological and planetary science. This book captures, in a series of questions, the essential scientific challenges that constitute the frontier of Earth science at the start of the 21st century.