One of the greatest questions in science may be close to being answered in the near future.
How and in what environment did life originate on Earth?
Plausible scenarios for the first steps towards life can only be described adequately if the environment in which these developments took place is known. From a geological perspective, deep, water filled fractures in the early continental crust offered ideal conditions for the emergence of the first cells. Even today, such environments still meet all the requirements for complex organic chemistry.
The first author takes readers on his personal journey towards answering what may be the greatest question in biology. He not only explains how the individual pieces of the puzzle concerning the development of life fit together, but also shares his personal experiences in this challenging field of research. While the first seven chapters of the second edition have been revised, Chapter 8 has been completely reconceived. By logically connecting the facts currently known and taking present day biochemical relationships into account, it outlines a possible pathway that may have led to the storage of genetic information in a first cell.
Chapters 9 and 10 add two further contributions by Christian Mayer. In these chapters, he opens a fundamental discussion about the definition of "What is life?" by placing the relationship between order and complexity at the centre. He also describes the importance of periodically occurring influences on the entire development of life.
From the origins of life to the first cell: a new theory on how life originated
One of the greatest questions in science may soon be answered: How and under what conditions did life originate on Earth?
Plausible scenarios for the first steps towards life can only be described if sufficient information is available about the place and conditions in which life originated. From a geological perspective, water-filled fractures in the early continental crust provided ideal conditions.
The first author takes readers on his personal journey towards answering what may be the greatest question in biology. He shows how the pieces of the puzzle concerning the development of life fit together and shares his experiences in this complex field of research. While the first seven chapters of the
second edition
and Chapter 12 have been revised, Chapter 8 is entirely new. It logically connects known facts and presents a possible pathway towards the storage of genetic information in a first cell.
Chapters 9 and 10 contain additional contributions by Christian Mayer. He opens a fundamental discussion about the definition of "What is life?" by focusing on the relationship between order and complexity, with the first author adding a brief point for discussion on specific aspects in Chapter 11.
The Authors
Ulrich C. Schreiber
is a retired Professor of Geology at the University of Duisburg-Essen. At an early stage in his career, he combined his areas of expertise in classical geology, volcanology and tectonics with ecological questions extending as far as the deep biosphere.
Christian Mayer
is officially retired but continues his research as a Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Duisburg-Essen. His research focuses include self-organizing molecular processes and prebiotic chemistry.
