Evolution of Microbial Life (Society for General Microbiology Symposia, Series Number 54) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521564328 ISBN 13: 9780521564328

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1996

Synopsis

It is now accepted that microbial life followed very quickly after the formation of liquid water on the early earth, and that for the next 3,000 million years life was a unicellular phenomenon. During this immense period of time all the major types of microbes appeared, as did all the fundamental chemical pathways necessary for life. This diversification was not appreciated until the techniques of molecular biology provided a means to examine the relationships among microorganisms that share few, if any, phenotypic characteristics. This volume reviews the current understanding of the evolution of microbial life during that time. The chapters draw together the various threads of the story to reveal what has been learned about the process of evolution itself and how this knowledge can contribute to our understanding of biodiversity.

About this title

Book Description

For roughly 3000 million years microbes represented life on earth. During this immense period of time all the major types of microbes appeared, as did all the fundamental chemical pathways necessary for life. This volume considers the evolution and diversification of early unicellular life, drawing together current understanding about the process of evolution itself and suggesting what this knowledge can contribute to the study of biodiversity.

Review

"We think that such a selection of papers is greatly useful for all scientists of Life Science, and naturally particularly for microbiologists, since the topics give an excellent overview of actual problems whose content has been greatly changed because of all the novel technological approaches. But the evolution never stops and we recommend greatly to our readers to read these chapters full of interest." Cellular and Molecular Biology

"...this book provides a wealth of information about microbial diversity and is a recommended read for those of us who wish to immerse themselves in the marvels and complexities of the origins of life and the contiual evolution of mcrobial diversity (both of the microbes and of the science itself)." Charles M. Dozois, CSM Spring Newsletter

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521564328
• ISBN 13: 9780521564328
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 313
• Editor: Roberts D. McL., Sharp P., Alderson G., Collins M. A.