The Origins of Life: From the Birth of Life to the Origin of LanguageWhen John Maynard Smith and Eors Szathmary published The Major Transitions in Evolution, it was seen as a major work in biology. Nature hailed it as a book of "grand and daunting sweep.... A splendid and rewarding tour de force." And New Scientist wrote that it captured "the essence of modern biology," calling it "an extremely significant book which, as a bonus, is very readable." Now, in The Origins of Life, Maynard Smith and Szathmary have completely rewritten Transitions to bring their ideas to a wider audience of general readers. Here is a brilliant, state-of-the-art account of how life evolved on earth, focusing primarily on six major transitions--dramatic breakthroughs in the way that information was passed between generations. The authors offer illuminating explorations of the origin of life itself, the arrival of the first cells with nuclei, the first reproduction by sexual means, the appearance of multicellular plants and animals, the emergence of cooperation and of animal societies, and the birth of language. The Origins of Life represents the thinking of two leading scientists on questions that engage us all--how life began and how it gradually evolved from tiny invisible cells into whales and trees and human beings. |
Contents
Life and information | 1 |
The major transitions | 15 |
From chemistry to heredity | 31 |
Copyright | |
13 other sections not shown
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able active adaptations advantages algae already amino acid animals answer associated attached bacteria base brain called carry cause cell Chapter chemical chromosome co-operation colony common complex compounds contains copies cycle cytoplasm depends described difficulty discuss division effect elements energy enzymes eukaryotes evolution evolved example existing explain fact females Figure function gametes genes genetic give grammar happen heredity host human idea important increase individuals inheritance kinds language lead limited linguistic linked living male means mechanism membrane molecules mutations natural needed object occur organelles organisms origin pairing particular perhaps plants population possible present problem produce protein question reason replication reproduction requires rules seems selection sequence sexual shown shows similar single social societies species specify structure suggested symbiosis things transmitted true turn types workers