Paleobiogeography (Topics in Geobiology)

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A core concept in geobiology is that life changes over time through evolution. The theory of evolution postulates that unique populations of organisms or species arose from genetic modifications in the ancestral population which were passed down by drift and natural selection. Along with standard biological evolution, life and planet co-evolve. Since the best adaptations are those that suit the ecological niche that the organism lives in, the physical and chemical characteristics of the environment drive the evolution of life by natural selection, but the opposite can also be true: A classic example of co-evolution is the evolution of oxygen -producing photosynthetic cyanobacteria which oxygenated Earth's Archean atmosphere.

The ancestors of cyanobacteria began using water as an electron source to harness the energy of the sun and expelling oxygen before or during the early Paleoproterozoic. During this time, around 2. Some evidence suggests there were geochemical "buffers" or sinks suppressing the rise of oxygen such as volcanism [21] though cyanobacteria may have been around producing it before the GOE.

The presence of oxygen on Earth from its first production by cyanobacteria to the GOE and through today has drastically impacted the course of evolution of life and planet. Other changes correlated with the rise of oxygen include the appearance of rust-red ancient paleosols , [19] different isotope fractionation of elements such as sulfur , [32] and global glaciations and Snowball Earth events, [33] perhaps caused by the oxidation of methane by oxygen, not to mention an overhaul of the types of organisms and metabolisms on Earth.

Whereas organisms prior to the rise of oxygen were likely poisoned by oxygen gas as many anaerobes are today, [34] those that evolved ways to harness the electron-accepting and energy-giving power of oxygen were poised to thrive and colonize the aerobic environment. Earth has not remained the same since its planetary formation 4. The redox state of the atmosphere and the oceans has changed, as indicated by isotope data.

Fluctuating quantities of inorganic compounds such as carbon dioxide , nitrogen , methane , and oxygen have been driven by life evolving new biological metabolisms to make these chemicals and have driven the evolution of new metabolisms to use those chemicals. Earth acquired a magnetic field about 3.

And the Earth is not the only one that changed - the luminosity of the sun has increased over time. Moreover, more subtle changes in the habitat of life are always occurring, shaping the organisms and traces that we observe today and in the rock record. The genetic code is key to observing the history of evolution and understanding the capabilities of organisms.

Paleobiogeography (Topics in Geobiology)

Genes are the basic unit of inheritance and function and, as such, they are the basic unit of evolution and the means behind metabolism. Phylogeny takes genetic sequences from living organisms and compares them to each other to reveal evolutionary relationships, much like a family tree reveals how individuals are connected to their distant cousins. Phylogeny can give some sense of history when combined with a little bit more information. Each difference in the DNA indicates divergence between one species and another. However, if information about the rate of genetic mutation is available or geologic markers are present to calibrate evolutionary divergence i.

Searching for similar genes in other organisms and in metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data allows us to understand what processes could be relevant and important in a given ecosystem, providing insight into the biogeochemical cycles in that environment. For example, an intriguing problem in geobiology is the role of organisms in the global cycling of methane. Genetics has revealed that the methane monooxygenase gene pmo is used for oxidizing methane and is present in all aerobic methane-oxidizers, or methanotrophs.


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This gene evolves very slowly over time and is not usually horizontally transferred , and so it is often used to distinguish different taxonomic units of organisms in the environment. Genetics enables us to ask 'who is there? Life harnesses chemical reactions to generate energy, perform biosynthesis , and eliminate waste.

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Plants are photoautotrophs , in that they use the energy of light to fix carbon. Microorganisms employ oxygenic and anoxygenic photoautotrophy, as well as chemoautotrophy. Microbial communities can coordinate in syntrophic metabolisms to shift reaction kinetics in their favor. Many organisms can perform multiple metabolisms to achieve the same end goal; these are called mixotrophs. Biotic metabolism is directly tied to the global cycling of elements and compounds on Earth.

The geochemical environment fuels life, which then produces different molecules that go into the external environment. This is directly relevant to biogeochemistry. In addition, biochemical reactions are catalyzed by enzymes which sometimes prefer one isotope over others. For example, oxygenic photosynthesis is catalyzed by RuBisCO , which prefers carbon over carbon, resulting in carbon isotope fractionation in the rock record.

Sedimentary rocks preserve remnants of the history of life on Earth in the form of fossils , biomarkers , isotopes , and other traces. The rock record is far from perfect, and the preservation of biosignatures is a rare occurrence. Understanding what factors determine the extent of preservation and the meaning behind what is preserved are important components to detangling the ancient history of the co-evolution of life and Earth. Some classic examples of geobiology in the sedimentary record include stromatolites and banded-iron formations. The role of life in the origin of both of these is a heavily debated topic.

The first life arose from abiotic chemical reactions. When this happened, how it happened, and even what planet it happened on are uncertain.

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However, life follows the rules of and arose from lifeless chemistry and physics. It is constrained by principles such as thermodynamics. This is an important concept in the field because it is represents the epitome of the interconnectedness, if not sameness, of life and Earth. While often delegated to the field of astrobiology , attempts to understand how and when life arose are relevant to geobiology as well.

Another theory is that life originated in a system much like the hydrothermal vents at mid-oceanic spreading centers. In the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis , a variety of hydrocarbons form under vent-like conditions. While geobiology is a diverse and varied field, encompassing ideas and techniques from a wide range of disciplines, there are a number of important methods that are key to the study of the interaction of life and Earth that are highlighted here. As its name suggests, geobiology is closely related to many other fields of study, and does not have clearly defined boundaries or perfect agreement on what exactly they comprise.

Some practitioners take a very broad view of its boundaries, encompassing many older, more established fields such as biogeochemistry, paleontology, and microbial ecology. Others take a more narrow view, assigning it to emerging research that falls between these existing fields, such as with geomicrobiology. The following list includes both those that are clearly a part of geobiology, e.


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Astrobiology is an interdisciplinary field that uses a combination of geobiological and planetary science data to establish a context for the search for life on other planets. The origin of life from non-living chemistry and geology, or abiogenesis , is a major topic in astrobiology. Even though it is fundamentally an earth-bound concern, and therefore of great geobiological interest, getting at the origin of life necessitates considering what life requires, what, if anything, is special about Earth, what might have changed to allow life to blossom, what constitutes evidence for life, and even what constitutes life itself.

These are the same questions that scientists might ask when searching for alien life. Biogeochemistry is a systems science that synthesizes the study of biological, geological, and chemical processes to understand the reactions and composition of the natural environment. It is concerned primarily with global elemental cycles, such as that of nitrogen and carbon. Its primary goal is to link biological changes, encompassing evolutionary modifications of genes and changes in the expression of genes and proteins, to changes in the temperature, pressure, and composition of geochemical processes to understand when and how metabolism evolved.

Geobiochemistry is founded on the notion that life is a planetary response because metabolic catalysis enables the release of energy trapped by a cooling planet. Microbiology is a broad scientific discipline pertaining to the study of that life which is best viewed under a microscope. It encompasses several fields that are of direct relevance to geobiology, and the tools of microbiology all pertain to geobiology. Environmental microbiology is especially entangled in geobiology since it seeks an understanding of the actual organisms and processes that are relevant in nature, as opposed to the traditional lab-based approach to microbiology.

Microbial ecology is similar, but tend to focus more on lab studies and the relationships between organisms within a community, as well as within the ecosystem of their chemical and geological physical environment.

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Both rely on techniques such as sample collection from diverse environments, metagenomics , DNA sequencing , and statistics. Geomicrobiology traditionally studies the interactions between microbes and minerals. While it is generally reliant on the tools of microbiology, microbial geochemistry uses geological and chemical methods to approach the same topic from the perspective of the rocks. Geomicrobiology and microbial geochemistry GMG is a relatively new interdisciplinary field that more broadly takes on the relationship between microbes, Earth, and environmental systems.

Billed as a subset of both geobiology and geochemistry, GMG seeks to understand elemental biogeochemical cycles and the evolution of life on Earth.

by Lieberman, Bruce S

Specifically, it asks questions about where microbes live, their local and global abundance, their structural and functional biochemistry, how they have evolved, biomineralization, and their preservation potential and presence in the rock record. In many ways, GMG appears to be equivalent to geobiology, but differs in scope: Regardless, it is these tiniest creatures that dominated to history of life integrated over time and seem to have had the most far-reaching effects.

Molecular geomicrobiology takes a mechanistic approach to understanding biological processes that are geologically relevant. Sign In Register Help Cart 0. Cover may not represent actual copy or condition available. Add to cart Add to wishlist E-mail a link to this book. Paleobiogeography Topics in Geobiology Author: Springer This edition first published: Log-in or create an account first!

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