On the Origin of Life and Biodiversity

Newly discovered fossils from a quarter billion years ago (the Permian period) provide a new narrative on how the transition from unicellular to multicellular life occurred. The Permian period is known as the great dying, however it could equally well be called the great rebirth. The earth was rocked by several extinction pulses, and each extinction pulse was followed by a "quantum speciation" or rebirth of life event. The fossils presented in the book appear to be part of one such quantum speciation or rebirth event. The whole body preservation of these fossils allows the specimens to be autopsied (sectioned), which in turn provides an anatomical roadmap of the transition from unicellular to multicellular life. A subset of the fossils indicate that a hosted genetic reassortment process was responsible for this transition. The book contains a fair amount of molecular biology, and is best suited for readers with a molecular biology or science background. Representative examples of some of the specimens and science covered in the book can be viewed at www.paleolife.info to determine if you will be comfortable with the level of science presented.

Author: Mark J. Zamoyski

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Publication Date: Feb 27, 2014

Number of Pages: 108 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: 1496036670

ISBN-13: 9781496036674